342 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1 669, 



This prelude of this excellent botanist consists of two parts ; the first gives us 

 an alphabetical catalogue of all the plants in the royal garden of Bloisin France, 

 as the same was enriched by the munificence and encouragement of the most 

 illustrious prince Gaston, late duke of Orleans, with 36o plants, in the space 

 of five years, by the singular care and skill of our author; who in this catalogue 

 has not only given a succinct description of the plants here enumerated, but 

 also by certain marks distinguished the perennial ones from the annual ; adding 

 some general observations, collected from the garden above mentioned, very 

 necessary and useful to all that are studious in botany. 



The second contains some animadversions not inconsiderable, both on the 

 Pinax of Caspar Bauhinus, showing his mistakes as well in the digesting as 

 in the naming of plants; and on the three volumes of the Universal History of 

 Plants of Johannes Bauhinus. 



To which is annexed a dialogue between a fellow of the Royal Society and the 

 author, containing an answer to several queries proposed, where is intimated 



1660, and on the restoration of Charles the second, was appointed professor of botany in the Uni- 

 versity of Oxford, with a salary, as it is said, of 200 1, a year from the king. He was also chosen 

 a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians. In 1669 he published his Prceludia Botanica, and af- 

 terwards his Plantce Umbelliferce. In 1^80 he published the second volume of his Historia Planta~ 

 rum, (purposely delaying the first volume, which related to trees and shrabs.) He died before the 

 publication of the third volume, which was completed by the care of the elder Robart, who suc- 

 ceeded him in the management of the Oxford Garden. His death was occasioned by an unfortunate 

 bruise which he received from the pole of a coach, while crossing a street in London, whither he 

 had gone in order to expedite the necessary subscriptions for tlie continuation of his work. He was 

 in the 63d year of his age when tliis event took place. It is remarkable that the celebrated Tourne- 

 fort died in consequence of a singular accident which happened to him in tlie streets of Paris. 



Morison is said to have been of an amiable and estimable character, and of great plainness and 

 simplicity of manners. 



His botanical method or system, which was intended for a natural one, is taken from the fruit, 

 but is, in this respect, according to the opinion of an eminent botanical critic, much inferior to that 

 of Caesalpinus, both in the plan and execution : it is clogged with a multiplicity of characters, and 

 the classes are not sufficiently distinguished from each other : hence it is extremely difficult in practice, 

 and was therefore not adopted by any succeeding writer except Robart, who in l699 completed the 

 Historia Plantarum, and by an anonymous author whose work appeared in 1720. Imperfect how- 

 ever as is this system, it has furnished many useful hints, which later botanists have not failed to 

 improve j since Ray, Tournefort, and Linnaeus have successively been indebted to the prior labours 

 of Morison, 



It is remarkable that Morison, during tlie investigations necessary for the continuation of his His- 

 toria Plantarum, imagined that a new plant had been discovered by the younger Robart in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Oxford, and in consequence announced it in his work, witli much satisfaction, as a 

 " nova et inaudita planta." On farther examination, however, it was easily proved that it was no 

 other than the Samolus, (Saraolus Valerandi of modern botany) a plant by no means very uncom- 

 mon in water)' situations in many parts of England. 



