INTRODUCTION. Ixvii 



however severally faint, yet converge upon 

 or point towards particular plants, the 

 clearness thus acquired will not be con- 

 fined to the number actually identified, but 

 will also afford a measure of probability for 

 less assured verifications. 



i. CONTINUITY OF LATIN NAME. The 

 simplest and strongest case is that in which 

 the connection between the Latin name 

 and the plant has been continuous, and 

 where uncertainty is almost excluded. 

 Although this is primarily a certainty not 

 about the vernacular but about the Latin 

 name, yet as a matter of experience, that 

 certainty is largely communicated to the 

 vernacular names of those plants whose 

 relation with their Latin names has never 

 been shaken. Thus Acer maple, Artemisia 

 mug-wort, Betulus birch, Corylus hazel, 

 Fagus beech, Fraxinus ash, Genista broom, 

 Jusquiamus henbane, Juglans walnut, 

 Lappa clot-bur, Mains apple, Nasturtium 

 cress, Origanum marjoram, Plantago way- 

 bred, Quercus oak,Ruscus knee-holly, Salix 

 willow and withy, Taxusyew, Urtica nettle. 



This evidence is confirmed when we find 



