Dr. Smrtu’s Obfervations on the Britifh Species of Bromus. 274 
‘tions upon the fubje@.already. It isin many inftances eafier to 
deteét truth itfelf, than to trace the caufes of error. 
Dr. Merrett, in his Pinax, muft be confidered as the father of our 
‘indigenous botany, notwithftanding the errors of that work are 
fuch that Ray'has called it‘ Dr. Merrett’s bungling Pimax.” It 
may be queftioned, however, whether any of us, who prefume upon 
~a higher degree of eftimation as Naturalifts, if landed on an unex- 
‘plored country, with only fuch helps as he had, would fall into 
fewer miftakes, or be guilty of fewer omiffions. However this may 
‘be, the work of Merrett was fo completely fuperfeded by the labours 
of the immortal Ray, that we need in no inftance recur to it as au- 
thority. The Synopfis of Ray, traced through its various editions, 
having been written from real obfervation, and from abfolute ori- 
ginal fcrutiny of almoft every Britifh plant, is the foundation of our 
prefent knowledge of the fubjeét. He examined every plant re- 
corded in his work, and even gathered moft of them himfelf.. He 
inveftigated their fynonyms: with confummate accuracy ; and if the 
' clearnefs-and precifion of other authors had equalled his, he would 
fcarcely have committed: an.error. It is difficult to find him‘in a 
miftake or mifeonception-refpecting Nature herfelf, though he fome- 
times» mifapprehends ‘the ‘bad ‘figures or lame defcriptions he was 
obliged to confult.. 
An tracing the botanical hiftory of Britith plants, I'therefore con- 
fider Ray as the fountain-head of:authority, but it is only Ray him- 
felf.. . Dillenius, the highly: refpe€table editor of the latt edition of 
ithe Synopfs, has, with commendable modefty and diffidence, diftin- 
guithed from the original workiall hisown additions, being well aware 
of the danger of miftakes. If he had not done fo, the preceding, 
edition of the work in: queftion, publifhed in 1696, would have 
been oor only refource ; for'it cannot be concealed that Dillenius 
a. has 
