VI PREFACE. 



such attempts lose the advantage of being done in an artist-hke man- 

 ner, it perhaps outweighs this drawback in a work for practical use, 

 that the several steps of the labour are performed by one familiar 

 with the minute parts of the objects copied. Nearly the whole of the 

 figures are of natural size, and have been obtained from recent spe- 

 cimens, while in no instance has any use been made of plates already 

 published. Of the parts of the flower, magnified views are likewise 

 given. With regard to the varieties occurring under certain species, 

 pains have been taken to name and describe shortly all those that 

 seem to deserve such notice ; and of each of these a figure has been 

 given. 



Under the head of habitat the several countries in which each spe- 

 cies is known to be produced are expressly stated. The range of the 

 altitude of the places of growth is specified as accurately as possible. 

 The time when the seed is matured (which it is often useful to know), 

 as well as the time of flowering, is everywhere indicated. And no- 

 tices are introduced of the agricultural and other properties of such 

 species as are of any value. 



My original purpose was to embrace in this work all the Grasses of 

 the United Kingdom, but the want of recent specimens of the Grasses 

 peculiar to England and to Ireland, made it necessary that, for the 

 present, I should limit my plan. I propose, however, as soon as I 

 have gained the proper opportunities, to publish a similar account of 

 those additional species. 



I have given a list of all the Grasses found within fifteen miles of 

 Edinburgh ; and in this list will be found a few beyond those in 

 Greville's Flora Edinensis or Woodforde's Catalogue. 



I have attempted an arrangement of the species of the Grasses of 

 Scotland on the dichotomous plan, the mere inspection of which will, 

 I think, sufficiently explain the use that may be made of it. 



The number of species and varieties described and delineated in this 

 work is altogether one hundred and thirty-three,- — and, with the ex- 

 ceptions referred to in the following table, the arrangement and sy- 

 nonymes followed by Sir William Hooker in his British Flora have 

 been adopted. 



