6 INTRODUCTION. 
Sub-provinces. — The varying width of the island in its different 
latitudes, and the necessity also for taking into account the then 
actual state of botanical records, caused the provinces to be less 
equalized in size or area than was desirable ; although they were 
made much less disproportionate than the counties themselves. 
As the distribution of the plants became better ascertained, it was 
found to become practicable and useful to equalize the provinces 
more closely, by further subdividing the larger of them, and 
leaving the smaller undivided. By this course the eighteen pri- 
mary provinces were increased into thirty-eight subordinate pro- 
vinces, to which the designation of Sub-province was given; the 
original names being retained for the undivided provinces, and a 
prefix added to the original names for the severed portions of the 
others. The great county of York, constituting alone the province 
of Humber, thus became apportioned between two sub-provinces, 
—those of East Humber and West Humber. In other respects 
county boundaries were still adhered to in forming the sub- 
provinces ; several of which are identical with large counties. 
There is one important difference between the provinces and sub- 
provinces, which is to be kept in recollection in all comparisons 
between their floras; namely, that some of the English sub- 
provinces are entirely inland, presenting no coast line for maritime 
plants. Thus, while several species of the sea-shore can be stated 
to occur generally in all the provinces, the like character of 
generality cannot be assigned to them, when their distribution is 
traced by the sub-provinces in England. 
Vice-Counties.— The still greater inequality and disproportion 
in the size of the counties, frequently rendering any comparison 
between their floras quite unsatisfactory and delusive, was also 
sought to be partially removed by cutting the larger counties into 
two or more sections designated Vice-counties, and leaving the 
smaller counties whole. Some few of the smallest counties had 
previously been sunk or included in those adjacent to them, as 
Rutland in Leicestershire, and Kinross in Fifeshire; and the 
fragmentary county of Cromarty was held as part of Ross, within 
which its detached portions are situate. Through this course of 
