404 GENERAL REMARKS. 
reprint of one dated 1657, the student will be struck with the contrast. 
It shows the importance of tracing the original editions of plates. 
This is no easy task in China. Editions of the Ming period are already 
rare and expensive; those of the Sung and T‘ang periods are, as a 
rule, beyond the reach of ordinary mortals. The expression “a good 
figure” must not mislead the reader. None of the Chinese drawings 
exhibit botanical details. The best figures are mere outlines, but are 
recognisable when the plant is known. The greater number of 
inferior figures might belong to a dozen and more distinct plants. 
CHINESE NaMEs. 
The Chinese have never shown any inclination for exploring nature 
from a love of knowledge. No trace can be found of a scientific 
tendency in all they have written on plants. They have named many 
Plants, only because they could not do otherwise. Named among oe 
the ten thousand Chinese plants are such only as are in use — 
among the people and which were in use long before a name was 
thought of. 2 
The peculiar names of the Rk ya given in explanation of more — 
ancient names point probably to different languages. A comparison 
with the philological statements of the Fang yen [vide this Journal — 
Vol. XVI, p. 145, No. 106] might lead to a determination of their = 
respective localities, The difficulty, however, of fixing the ancient 
pronunciation of the respective written characters must not be — 
overlooked. We are dependent on modern analogies. The explana- 
tion of ancient names, already obsolete 2,000 years ago, is mere — 
Suess-work without value. Most of Kvo P‘o’s remarks belong t0 
this kind. ‘ 
Though it is of scientific interest to find out the botanical deter- 
mination of ancient names, it is not less of scientific interest, and of 
considerable practical value, to determine every kind of material from 
the vegetable kingdom used in China at present and to verify the 
names employed in authoritative modern Chinese works, especially 
in the Pen ts‘ao. 
Ancient Names. a 
The following almost complete list of Chinese names of plants 
which have remained unchanged from ancient classical times bie 
of interest to the student. 
