CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 135 



now about seventeen years since I was there, and there 

 may be some arisen of note and eminency since that 

 time. 



As to the Bistorta alpina, I am now come over to 

 Mr. Tom-nefort's opinion, that there are two sorts thereof. 

 Of the plants you have observed about Paris, the 

 Conyza Canadensis annua alba is improperly styled 

 Canadensis, as Dr. Morison also takes notice, being fre- 

 quently found in the woods and vineyards of France, 

 and, if you will believe him, of England also, where it 

 hath not yet been my good hap to meet with it. He 

 entities it Conyza acris amiua alba, omitting the epithet 

 of Canadensis. 

 Black Notley July 37, —83. 



Dr. EoBiNSON to Mr. Rat, from Montpellier. 



Sir, — I troubled you with a letter from Paris last 

 July, giving an account of the Macreuse. It was not so 

 satisfactory as I wished, the bird being then out of 

 season. However, my worthy friend, Mr. Charlton (now 

 at Paris), will take care to get the Macreuse exactly 

 designed to the life, together with the skin stuffed, which 

 he intends to preserve in his own excellent museum, but 

 will order them to be left at Mr. Faithorn's for yom- use. 

 As for the queries which you have been pleased to give 

 me about Montpellier, I am afraid that I may be defective 

 in answering them, the present troubles of Languedoc 

 putting a great stop to arts and sciences, there happening 

 daily skkmishes between the king's soldiers and the 

 Protestants of these parts ; yet I have been a little indus- 

 trious in the search of natural curiosities, though not so 

 accurate as I ought to have been, especially when I 

 intend to write to the best botanist, and the most accom- 

 plished naturalist, of this, or perhaps any, age. 



1. The vapour ascending out of the earth, and causing 



