XVI PREFACE. 



from the plain Mirbel, is given with proper cross-reference 

 from the simple name. The prej)Ositions, which when in Latin 

 stand as de, a, ab, are likewise reduced to their proper 

 equivalents, for instance, Nees ab Esenbeck becomes Nees 

 von Esenbeck. A few errors in the initials of authors' 

 names being rectified in the Index, are not specified in the 

 Corrigenda. 



Authors sometimes cause some amount of doubt as to their 

 identity by varying their usage of the initials of their names ; 

 thus, A. H. R. Grisebach usually styled himself A. Grisebach 

 simply. I think it greatly to be wished that writers would 

 give full information of themselves on their title-pages, but 

 that is, I fear, too much to expect. A still more unpleasant 

 habit is that of wholly omitting all initials whatsoever; the 

 French are greatly addicted to this form of vanity, the M. 

 sometimes standing for Michel or Marc, but in the vast 

 majority of cases for Monsieur. Why cannot they abbreviate 

 Monsieur into Mr. as they do Docteur into Dr., and as other 

 people do ? It is delightful to find this vanity sometimes 

 overreach itself ; a certain person having written an account 

 of the flowering plants found near Toulouse, thought himself 

 of sufficient importance to sign his name at the foot of his 

 preface simply " Robert " ; the result is that he remains an 

 undistinguished Robert to this day. 



Church dignitaries are very apt to use their official title, in 

 lieu of any initial ; for example, I do not know the initials of 

 " I'abbe Boulay " ; in the index he, with many similar in- 

 stances, has to remain with a blank after his name. 



It has been impossible to examine all the books named 

 herein ; many of them have probably never reached this country, 

 others are privately or locally printed, and many are of that 



