vm P R K F A c I-:. 



plants published in 1660 by Ray, as well as from 

 various botanical friends, all which he very hand- 

 somely acknowledges, we cannot but confess that 

 his work mio;hthave been more abundant in matter, 

 and more correct in execution. Dr. Merrett contri- 

 buted little besides this publication to the advance- 

 ment of natural history. He however became a 

 Fellow of the Royal Society, when science was emi- 

 nently requisite for the attainment of that honour, 

 and died at the age of 81 in 1695. 



The above-mentioned works, whatever might be 

 their value or their defects, were superseded in 1670 

 by the great Ray's Catalogus Plantarum Anglice et 

 Insidarum adjacentium^ an octavo of 358 pages ; of 

 which a second edition, of only 311 pages, though 

 enriched with about 46 additional plants, and nu- 

 merous observations, as well as with two, not very 

 important, plates, appeared in 1677. The arrange- 

 ment of this work is alphabetical ; but with respect 

 to accuracy, and abundance of descriptive, critical 

 and medical remarks, it has greatly the advantage 

 of the performances of How and Merrett. 



A small Fasciculus of new-discovered British 

 plants, consisting of 27 pages, and intended as a 

 supplement to this Catalogue, was published by Ray 

 in 1688. 



This was succeeded in 1690 by the first edition 

 of the Synopsis Methodica Stirpium Britamiicai^mn 

 of the same author, in which the plants of Britain 

 were first classed in scientific order, according to a 

 system of his own ; an explanation of which he had 

 already given to the world in 1682, in a small oc- 

 tavo volume. 



