XXX INTRODUCTION. 



little things out of old herbaria; but it is an estimate sadly 

 founded on facts, on acts done and statements printed. Certain 

 botanists, who now seek to make themselves thus conspicuous, 

 appear unable to understand the difference between criticism 

 freely expressed and criticism falsely expressed ; perversely 

 substituting the latter under pretence of the former. 



Unfortunately, in mounting specimens in the herbarium here 

 specially referred to, as they were received from their collectors 

 or donors, the importance of glueing down also the actual labels 

 which accompained the specimens, was at first not sufficiently 

 recognized ; and thus some of the names (misnomers included) 

 are entered there in the receiver's own handwriting while 

 fastening down the specimens ; such names not always written 

 within inverted commas, although usually thus written to 

 remind that the specimens came so named, right or wrong as 

 the case might be. Altogether, a good many explanatory notes 

 and some corrections would be required in the herbarium before 

 its present owner could prudently leave it as a posthumous 

 collection for other eyes and hands. 



To return from a digression, though one more explanatory 

 than irrelevant. Admitted the desirability of making some 

 printed record of the local facts shown on the labels of speci- 

 mens in the writer's herbarium ; also, in his manuscript notes 

 and in local lists furnished to him by other botanists, several of 

 them now deceased. This being admitted, How can a record 

 of presently ascertained plant-distribution, carried into the 

 details of counties, be effected within any moderate compass of 

 text ? or, even be compelled at all, with approximate accuracy 

 and completeness, in a short span of time ? What will be the 

 number of pages absolutely necessary for carrying out the 

 object; economy in the money cost, and also in the time of 

 writing and printing, both taken into account. Both must be 

 found by the writer himself, seeing that he will not print any 

 sale copies of a work so uncertain of reaching a completion ; 



