STUDY I. 



Ï7 



tries, were alone and unaffifted,and difpatched the 

 bufinefs in a few months. But. though his faga- 

 city and perfeverance feem to have left us nothing 

 more to wifh for, I have my doubts, whether he 

 has made a complete colleftion of all the gifts 

 which Flora fcatters over our plains ; and whether 

 he has feen, if I may ufe the expreffion, to the 

 bottom of her bafket. Pliny obferved plants, in 

 places not comprehended in Boerbaave's enumera- 

 tion, and which grow on the tiles that cover our 

 houfes, on rotten fieves, and the heads of ancient 

 flatues. It is, undoubtedly, certain, that we are, 

 from time to time, difcovering fome, at no great 

 diftance from Paris, which have no place in the 

 Botanicon of Le Vaillant, 



For my own part, if I might be permitted to 

 hazard a conjedure, refpecling the number of the 

 diftinft fpecies of plants, fpread over the Earth, 

 fuch is my idea of the immenlïty of Nature, and 

 of her fubdivifions, that 1 am difpofed to believe, 

 there is not a fquare league of earth, but what 

 prefents fome one plant peculiar to itfelf, or, at 

 leaft, which thrives there better, and appears more 

 beautiful, than in any other part of the world. 

 This makes the number, of the primordial fpecies 

 of vegetables, amount to feveral millions, difFufed 

 over as many millions of fquare leagues, of which 

 thefurface of .our Globe confifts. The farther fouth 



VOL. I. c we 



