588 PERSONAL AUTHORITIES. 



compiler certify the accuracy of the nomenclature, and do 

 so without having seen a specimen of the plant. Although 

 these examples are here given with an "if" as explanatory 

 illustrations, there are unfortunately a few real cases of like 

 kind. Of course, in writing out the names of counties and 

 persons thousands on thousands of times, some similar sub- 

 stitutions of one sign or abbreviation for another might 

 be made inadvertently in the original notes, or in the press 

 manuscript itself equally as in the process for converting it 

 into type or letter-press. Such errors, however, are much 

 more likely to be those of simple omission, than those of 

 commission, so far as the sign of individual certainty is con- 

 cerned ; and no mischief is wrought by leaving it out. 



2. The catalogues have been amply ex^jlained on pages 535, &c. 

 It, will be kept in recollection here, that the correct nomen- 

 clature of the plants, as well as the certainty of their occurrence 

 in the county, must both rest ex"clusively with the botanist by 

 whom the catalogue was made. If he should have marked any 

 name therein by guess-work, or on the report of some other 

 botanist or on some record in a book, so far he will have falsified 

 the personal testimony. This subject was alluded to in the intro- 

 ductory remarks, and it might seem unnecessary again to revert 

 to it here. And yet some short lists of " Additions " have been 

 received since, in which plants were included although the 

 senders of the lists had truly never seen them in the counties or 

 more special localities stated for them ; — so di£S.cult is it to get 

 even weU-educated and well-iritentioned men to give their 

 evidence correctly, and adhere to logical accuracy in their 

 statements ! 



3. The manmcnpt notes do not differ essentially from some of 

 the catalogues. One of them may be a special and very careful 

 description of the place where some rare plant has been found. 

 Another may be simply a written list of plants observed within 

 some stated area, perhaps differing from the more general cata- 

 logues only by the omission of common plants, or by being 



