140 CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 



shall but attend to tliera, and the description, to find out 

 infalUbly any pl[ant] that shall be offered to him, espe- 

 cially being assisted by [the] figure of it. And, lastly, 

 because no man of our nation hath lately attempted such 

 a work ; and those that formerly did, excepting Dr. 

 Tmiier, were not sufficiently qualified for such an under- 

 taking, and so have acquitted themselves accordingly. 



I wish I had assurance, from eye-witnesses of credit, 

 that those sorts of linen you mention are made of nettle 

 stalks. I have heard and read the like of Scotch cloth, 

 but dare not give credence to it, because I find not that 

 Dr. Sibbalds, in his ' Prodromus,' makes any mention 

 of it, and am loth to put in anything on uncertain ru- 

 mour. The Polycjonum pusillo vermicidato Seopylli folio 

 of Lobel I do not take to be the Erica maritima Anylica 

 siipina \Frankenia lavis, Linn.], which is well known to 

 me ; but I put down such an opinion, because so reputed 

 an herbarist as Mr. Goodyer describes the said Erica for 

 that Polygonum, at least if I mistake not ; and, to say the 

 truth, there is nothing in Lobel's figm^e, description, or 

 in the place, which contradicts it. Your sample of Lobel's 

 Folygonum, if a perfect plant and well conserved, I 

 should be glad to see. The Erica I hope this summer 

 (God wilhng) to see growing in its natural place. I am 

 in doubt whether the Polygonifolia per terrain sparsa, 

 &c. belong to this tribe, or rather to the Asperifolia. 

 That its spike of flowers is so reflected and tiuiied as 

 theirs are I can assure you, and I think it hath a perfect 

 flower. 



The Blitum Americanum spinosum is a plant to me 

 unknown. 1 am as yet doubtful of the characteristic 

 note of the Garden Elite. 



The ' Hortus Farnesianus,' said and supposed to be 

 written by Tobias Aldinus, but indeed Petrus Castellus 

 his work, as appears by his name in capital letters in 

 some preface or epistle to the book, I have not, and should 

 be glad to see. 



I render you man}' thanks for your assistance and com- 



