l6S CHAPTER I;^. 
plants but quoted the page of their v/orks; 
This is the firft book, as far as I know, on 
the fubjed', printed in England^ in which 
the latter of thefe circumftances takes piace. 
It is remarkable, that fo obvious an afllftance, 
after having been introduced by Co/par Bau-t 
HiNE in his ^'Fhytopinax^' fliould be want^ 
ing in the " Pinax'' itfelf. Had Gerard 
and Parkinson retained, throughout their 
works, the exad: fynonyms of the authors 
from whom they transferred their plants, and 
quoted the pages, they would unqueftionably 
have rendered their writings much more 
ufeful to pofterity, and have prefer ved thera 
from difufe and oblivion, for a much longer 
period. The fame may be obferved of Mr. 
Ray, who has totally negledled this valu- 
able improvement. So novel was the prac- 
tice, that the authors of the Hortus Oxo- 
NiENsis thought it necefiary to apologife 
for it, and fliield themfelves under the au-. 
thority of the Hortus 'Eyfiettenfis J' 
There are many dubious and ill^afcer- 
tained plants in this Catalogue ; and thofe 
marked as nev/, are almoft wholly varieties. 
Engliih Botany feems to have received littk 
or* 
