232 CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 



good authority that there are such. I was a little stag- 

 gered at his assertion, but yet must suspend my belief 

 till I have better assurance. 



March 10, 90. 



Dr, PLUKENET to Mr. RAY. 



SIR, Your kind acceptance of my poor present is an 

 addition to former favours, and I give my hearty thanks 

 for the pains you took in the perusal of my Botanic Icons. 

 I shall think mine the better bestowed on their produc- 

 tion, in that you are pleased to give so great a character 

 of them. I am only sorry anything of the desirable 

 exactness, in reference to yourself, should escape my 

 notice ; for though I have industriously designed to avoid 

 all exposing others mistakes, the omissions here are purely 

 humane, and slips of frailty, without the least partiality 

 or any sinister design of derogating from the felicity of 

 your parts, or the honour that is due to the painful dis- 

 coveries you have so freely communicated to the world. 



1 . Your first particular is an instance in the Alsine 

 Caryophyttoides tenuifoL, 8fc. [Arenaria verna, Linn.] of 

 my Phytography, arid its reference to that of the Liniflorc 

 in your general history. I confess I did make it a ques- 

 tion of doubt, and the want of a closer application to 

 yourself was the occasion of the misconjecture ; and since 

 it was only my doubt, which is not without a scope and 

 latitude, that being always allowed to questions of this 

 nature, though there be not an exact concurrence of 

 every nice particular, it will I hope seem more tolerable, 

 especially when I have so good an example as yourself to 

 warrant me herein ; for I observe, even in the very same 

 plant, you are pleased by way of question to annex the 

 Auricula muris pulchro flore folio tenuissime diviso, J. B., 

 as a proper synonyme thereto, which does as little answer 

 it in the petala of its flowers as mine, and perhaps much 

 less in its leaves. 



