XXIV 



INTRODUCTION. 



an air of originality in the. outline, which is not without great difficulty 

 retained, under that hazardous and difagreeable operation. 



The ErTay towards a methodical arrangement of the Agarics contained 

 in this work, how imperfect foever in its prefent infant itate, may, I 

 hope, be ufeful, in exciting the attention of fuch of my friends in par- 

 ticular, or of Botanifts in general, as have made fome progrefs in the 

 ftudy of this perplexing, and extenfive branch of Natural Hiftory. 



The primary divifions are founded in the difpofition and arrangement 

 of the gills ; the fecondary, in the prefence or abfence of either the volva, 

 or curtain, or both; and the fpecific diftinctions are drawn from the fize, 

 figure, colour, texture, &c. &c. of all the parts, both external and in- 

 ternal, combinedly. The neceffity of this combination is the moft per- 

 plexing part in the ftudy of Agarics, and this perplexity rnuft always 

 remain : — for the parts are fo fimple and few, and the Genus fo numerous, 

 that it is impoffible to affix fingle fpecific Diagnoftics. — That a gradual and 

 progrefiive arrangement or difpofition may exift, between all the created 

 fpecies of this Genus, I deny not, but this connection (till all the created 

 fpecies are known) we can no more difcover, than we can write a com- 

 pleat Hiftory in any Language, and be denied the ufe of perhaps three- 

 fourth parts of the characters, which conftitute the Alphabet of that 

 Language. The chain can never be compleated, while fo many inter- 

 mediate links are wanting. 



In citing Authors, I have referred to fuch figures or fynonyma as I 

 thought moft proper, but did not think it neceflary to fwell the Book, by 

 tranfcribing thofe fynonyma ; many of them being already collected to- 

 gether, in Mr. Hudfon's excellent Flora, and in moft other fimilar pub- 

 lications, as well as in this work, at the head of the refpective defcrip- 

 tion of the plant, except in the new or undefcribed fpecies. 



The 



