174 ^^« Smith's Obfervatms en 



" Mentha incana foetida. 



*' Menthafirum valde ramofum ilore violaceo rubro. At Dartford la 

 ■Kent." 



It is mod probable that all thefe are referable to fpecLcs we are ac- 

 quainted with ; but the above charafters are too flight to-determins 

 them by, neither would I venture to decide upon them without 

 feeing fpecimens. It is not my purpofe to guefs at botanical enig- 

 mas, but to invcftigate truth by the light of fads and authentic in- 

 formation. 



The firfl edition of Ray''s Sympjis (T pafs over his earlier cata- 

 logues) contains 8 real Mints including Pukg/um, all from that ex- 

 cellent writer's own knowledge, and about which there is no kind 

 of obfcurity. They will be quoted in proper order hereafter. 



In the 2d edition three more are added, but with lefs accuracy. 

 Thefe are M. verticlllata n. 2, which appears to me a very doubtful 

 fpecies ; M. fpicaia n. 5, the ofBcinal Pepper-mint; aiid a verticil- 

 late mint n. 6, under which laft two very diftincl fpecies are con- 

 founded, for in this infl:anc.e Ray trufted to other people. 



Before Dillenius publillied the 3d edition of Ray's Synopfts, botany 

 was very afliduoufly and fcientifically cultivated in England. The 

 genus of Mentha particularly engaged the attention of Buddie, the 

 three Dales and two Bobarts. Thefe induftrious botanifts colle6led 

 a great number of fpecies and varieties, and communicated to each 

 other every tbing they found, with remarks upon the properties and 

 charafters of each, and their conjeftures about the fynonyms of au- 

 thors. Their original fpecimens, preferved in the Britifh Mufeum, 

 the Sherardian Herbarium at Oxford, or in my own coUeftion, elu- 

 cidated by ample manufcript remarks, have been my guides in the 

 'ftudy of this genus, which cannot be decyphered without them. 

 The whole were fubmitted to Dillenius, who made what ufe he 



chofe ' 



