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1^4. FuNf£>AMENTA Agrostographi^. H. Gahfi 



1767. 



M. Gabn profefles to have undertaken this trad, 

 partly with a view to aid the good defigns of thofe 

 focietiesy which, to the honour of their founders, 

 have been eftablifhed in feveral parts of Europe^ 

 for the advancement of agriculture with which 

 the fubjedl of this paper is intimately conne6led. 



In this large natural clafs of plants, called Gr^- 

 mina^ are comprehended alfo the Cerealia or Grain^ 

 and, including all that are hitherto known, do not 

 amount in the Syftem of our author to fewer than 

 430 fpecies ; in that of others to many more. 

 Such a number of plants, fo nearly alike in their 

 habit as thefe, muft require numerous fubdivi- 

 fions, and nice diftindions, to difcriminate each 

 fpecies. To effed: this is the intention of this 

 trad, in which, after fome curious preliminary 

 obfervations, relating to the ftation and ufes that 

 nature feems to have afligned to fome particular 

 fpecies, and a lift of the common graffes, clalTed 

 according to their native places, the author pre- 

 fents us with an hiftorical account of the prin- 

 cipal writers who have treated feparately on this 

 clafs, exhibiting under each a brief view of their 

 fyftems of claffification. Thefe are C. Bauhina^ 

 RuSecky Ray^ and above all, Scheuchzery who 

 with incredible labour has defcribed all the fpe- 

 cies. To thefe might be added feveral other 

 writers, who have alfo illuftrated this branch of 

 botany, particularly Morifon and Haller, Then 

 follows the defer iption of the natural charader 



and 



