3 o8 



Dr. Prefton to Mr. Ray. 



SIR, MS tmx^ni ^^:^^^' ^mft^^l 



OInce my Arrival in Scotland I have been fo much 

 £3 diverted by Bufinefs, that I have got but little 

 ipare Time to mind any thing of Curiofity, (fave 

 this laft Summer that I made fome few Obfervations 

 on Plants) which has been the Occafion of my long 

 Silence. Befides^ I cou'd not perform my Promife 

 in giving you the Synonyme of fuch Plants as were 

 enter d in the Element a Bot. under a new Name, and 

 as Non-defcripts, and yet were old Plants * for I want^ 

 edthe Elementa Bot. And having Advice from Pa- 

 ris of his \jtourneforfs] publifhing the Latin Edition 

 with all Expedition, made me fomething remifs> for 

 I knew he would fave us that Trouble ; Therefore I 

 hope you will excufe my Silence, and I fhall recom- 

 penfe it by tranfmitting to you from time to time fuch 

 Obfervations as I had Occafion to. make, I do not 

 propofe any Order or Method in doing it, but give 

 them you, fuch as they are, as they come to hand. 

 I confefs bourne fort in his Elem. Bot. hath treated both 

 you and my Countreyman Mori/on very indifcreetly,for 

 which I did reprove him while at Paris, and deflr'd 

 him to correct that, as well as other things, in the 

 Latin Edition, which he promis'd to do > and accord- 

 ingly I find all along in his Chara&ers he has omitttd 

 What he faid in the other Edition again ft you. In this 

 Latin Edition he gives a very good Account of the 

 Rile and Progrefs of Botany and of the feveral Wri- 

 ters thereof, " from Hippocrates^ Time to our Days \ 

 among whom Gefner, C&falpinus, and Fjzbius ' Columns % 

 were the firit who layed down any folid and ratio- 

 nal 



