EDITORS' PREFACE. 



In presenting to the public the long looked-for Flora of the 

 late lamented Dr. Bromfield, the Editors feel that a few, and 

 but very few, observations are required from them in expla- 

 nation. 



Dr. Bromfield became resident at Eyde, in the Isle of Wight, 

 in the year 1836, and shortly afterwards conceived the idea of 

 preparing a Flora of the Island. He was not content to 

 follow the usual practice in the making of local Floras and 

 Faunas, and to be satisfied by presenting merely a tolerably 

 full list ; but he determined that the investigation should be 

 very complete, and that every species should receive an origi- 

 nal description. Nor was he satisfied with a mere cursory 

 research in the framing of these descriptions, or with copying 

 any character from other authors unverified by his own exami- 

 nations. He was also equally careful to avoid describing gene- 

 ral characters from individuals or varities, and endeavoured, 

 with immense and most persevering care, to select such points 

 as are really the permanent and essential characters of genera 

 and species. To ensure this result he was in the habit of 

 obtaining a very great number of specimens of each species, 

 collected from various localities ; and, whenever practicable, he 

 endeavoured to compare Isle-of-Wight specimens with those 

 collected at a distance. Having thus secured sufficient mate- 

 rial for investigation, his next aim was to consult every author 

 within his reach for all the characters which different observers 

 had noticed. For this i^art of his plans he had collected a 



