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lUlEFACE. 



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with which the present age so fruitfully abounds. 

 Thus has the addition of plates to this work been 

 rendered in a great degree unnecessary. They 

 would, indeed, have been highly ornamental; 

 but they must have considerably increased the 

 cxpence of the volume, without, in an adequate 

 degree, extending its usefulness » 



The following observations on the subject of 

 • references, from the preface of Sir James E. Smith 

 to his English Flora, have made on my mind tlieir 

 proper impression. " I cannot," says this much 

 lamented botanist, " insist too often on the mis- 

 chief of copying synonyms from other works. 

 The value of synonyms consists entii-ely in their 

 collector being answerable for their exactness; 

 by which he enriches his own w[ork with the 

 accumulated treasures of the botanical library, 

 as far as his readers think proper to follow up 

 the pursuit. But if he blindly transcribes them, 

 jsuch surreptitious references arc sure to be soon 

 discovered by the frequent errors of the press, 

 respecting pages or figures, which occur in most 

 books. At a single discovery of this kind, all our 

 respect and confidence vanisli ; for we know not 

 that every thing else of the same nature is not 



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equally fallacious; and an author who has ap- 

 peared very learned and deeply read, proves a 



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