C 294 ) 
but invite, and gratefully entertain the Spe£tator's Eye. 
For Firft, Who would not be delighted to (ee an arbo- 
refcent Fern, of a finglc Woody Stem, ftreight and 
undivided, bearing leaves only at the top like a Palm- 
Tree ? Capillaries of almoft all kinds , creeping on 
Trees, or Rocks, or the Ground, with Wires after the 
manner of Strawberries: Or Thirdly Capillaries, the 
tip of whofe leaves turning downwards, and touching 
the Earth takes Root and puts forth a new Plant, fo Pro 
pagating their kind : Or Fourthly Capillaries putting 
forth from the middle Seem of their Leaves two flioots, 
each bearing a Spike of Flowers and Seeds. I confefs, 
when I firft faw the Authors ftock of dryed Plants, colle- 
d:ed in Jamaica and fome of the Carilee Iflands, I was 
much furprifed and even aftonifbed at the number of 
the Capillary kind ; not thinking there had been fo ma- 
ny to be found in both the Indies. \ might fay much of 
the other G^»fr4,but I refer the Reader to the Book itftif. 
Secondly, The Author in this Catalogue hath done 
great Service, to at leaft the inferior Ranks of Herba- 
rarifts, in reducing and cutting ftiort the number of 
Species, which were unneceflarily multiplied : For cb- 
ferving, that thofe who have publifhed Itineraries, or 
Deferiptions of the feveral parts of America , for want 
of fufScient Skill in B(?/^»/c^j, and not being verfed in 
Defcribing Plants, have given us fuch lame, imperfeft, 
and obfcure Deferiptions of fuch as they took Notice of^ 
^nd of the fame Tree or Herb many times under difiFerent 
Names, that the Compilers of general Hiftories of Plants 
meeting with the(e Deferiptions, and having no other 
knowledge of fuch Plants then what they derived from 
them,have repeated one and the fame Species, found in far 
diftant Countries by various Obfervers, and differently 
defcribed, once, twice, thrice ; (nay fome great Au- 
thors fcmetimes even nine times) over, for different 
kinds. 
