11. 



be gleaned in the fields of Suffolk; and I heartily wish good speed to 

 those who are to follow and to bring the work to a more perfect issue. 



The editing of this Flora has been much facilitated by the labours 

 of Prof. Henslow and Mr. Skepper in their work of 1860. After its 

 publication, Mr. Skepper seems to have been specially diligent in amas- 

 sing new information. This was entered in his copy of the Flora, along 

 with necessary corrections and emendations of that work. Through the 

 kindness of his widow I have been permitted to copy his annotations ; 

 and also to examine his Herbarium, which is in advance of the Flora, 

 as published. Where possible, I have endeavoured to trace the sources 

 of information used in the older work ; and I have given the original 

 authorities for plants and localities, as being on the whole preferable. 

 It would be ungenerous, on my part, not to acknowledge my indebted- 

 ness to Mr. Skepper for pointing my way to these original authorities. 

 Frequent reference to his name (E. Sk. or Sk. ms.) throughout this work, 

 will show how largely he has helped in raising the Botany of Suffolk 

 towards its present standard. Though Prof. Henslow described himself 

 as ' a consulting, but sleeping partner,' in the former Flora ; he has left 

 a legacy apart from that work, of which I have enjoyed the usufruct. 

 Use has been made of his published list of Hitcham plants; of his 

 Herbarium of Hitcham plants, now in the Ipswich Museum : and of a 

 parcel of Hitcham plants, collected by his school children, and kindly 

 sent to me by Prof. G. C. Babington. 



To the late Dr. Babington, I am largely indebted for counsel and 

 suggestion ; also, for various sources of information, and for correspon- 

 dents introduced by him. His own annotated copy of the Flora of 

 Suffolk, that of Mr. W. Jordan, and a general Flora, having notes from 

 the hand of the late Mrs. Parker, were placed by him ac my disposal. 

 Three Herbaria were examined by him for the purposes of this Flora, 

 and through him I obtained knowledge of another, which has also been 

 consulted. Of still greater value has been his help in procuring the 

 loan of the History of Hawstead and the Ms. Naturalists' Journal of the 

 late Sir John Cullum, Bart., which contains the record of his personal 

 observations for a period of twelve years; also of Gillingwater's 

 History of Bury, and various other works of importance. 



Among those, whose kind, sympathy and help I have enjoyed in 

 preparing this work, very special thanks are due to the Rev. E. N. 



