• B.ay. 251 
latter work : durin^- v/hich, exdufive of 
thxC difcovery of many fubjedts, aniong what 
. were called the more perfeB plants, a new 
and very extenfive field had been opened, 
by exciting attention to the lefs perfeB (as 
they wxre then accounted) and minuter 
kinds of vegetables, the Fungi ^ Fuciy 
Mufci, and AlgcCy known now by the name 
of Cryptogamice, During the firft of thefe 
periods, 250 fpecies had been added to the 
Englijh Flora i and the acceffion in the 
laft exceeded that number. 
In no part of Europe had the fame pro - 
> grefs been made in the inveftigation of 
thefe hitherto much-negledled fubjeds, as 
in England, during the period above men- 
tioned. This is fufficiently evinced by 
comparing the fecond edition of the Sy- 
NOPSis " with the contemporary writings 
of foreign botanifts. 
This fecond edition of the Synopsis 
was printed in 1696. 8°. pp. 346. Mr. 
Ray himfelf had but a fmall ilwe in the 
augmentations that WTre made to this edi- 
tion. His advancing years and infirmities 
prevented him from making excurfions. His 
principal 
i 
I 
