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VIII. Remarks on fome Bntijh Species cf Sa^ix. By James Edward 

 Smith, M.D. F.R.S, P.L.S. 



Read May 5, i8or. 



It has For a long time been my inten'ion to offer to the confidera- 

 tion of the Linnean Society fome elucidation of the Britilh ^'^'illows; 

 but there are many reafons why any thing hke a complete hiory of 

 of the genus of Saltx cannot at prefent be made ou', even fo far as 

 regards our native fpecies, and 1 have therefore withheld thj partial 

 information 1 had acquired, in hopes of learning more, and being 

 able to communicate fomething better worth the Society's accept- 

 ance. 



At length however it becomes necefTary that this obfcure genus 

 (hould affume as regular a form as poflible in the Fkra Britannica; 

 where, as in every other inftance, my obje6t is to publifh nothing 

 that I have not afcertained myfelf, at leaft as far as the imperfe6lion 

 of all human knowledge and judgment will permit. The enumera- 

 tion therefore of the fpecies of Sidix in that book, though more 

 comprehenfive than any yet publiflied in Britain, v\ill be but an 

 effiiy, to be perfeifVcd hereafter; and what I have to offer in this 

 paper are various matters colledlcd in the courfe of my inquiries, 

 which require a more ditflife explanation than the fyftematic form 

 of the work juft mentioned will admit. I fhall at prefent confine 

 my obfervations to the arborcfcent fpecies of the firfl: fe6fion of the 

 genus Salix, which comprehends fuch as have leaves more or lefs 

 f-rratcd, and nearly Imooth, at leaft when fully formed. This is the 



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