from his own obfervations, without acknow-* 
ledging the fmalleft aid from former wri-* 
ters ; briefly recites his objedlions to the 
methods of Rivinus, Tournefort, and 
Herman j and defends his own. He eftab- 
lifhes fome axioms, to be obferved in fram- 
ing a fyftem of botany. In fadt, Mr. Ray's 
method, though he alTumes the fruit as the 
foundation, is an elaborate attempt, for that 
time, to fix natural clafTes. He eftablifhes 
it as a rule, that no plant is to be feparated 
from its tribe for a fingle note of difference; 
but that all are to be affimilated, as far as 
habit will allow. The charadlers of the 
genera are, however, highly incongruous ; 
they are taken from vague principles, fuch 
as the fliape of the leaf, colour of the flower, 
tafte, fmell, and fometimes from the fize of 
the plant, and other as unliable difl:inftions. 
In this amended edition, Mr. Ray ftill 
adheres to the ancient divifion into trees 
and herbaceous plants, having dropped the 
diftinftion of flirubs, preferved in the firfl: 
edition. Here, all herbaceous, and fhrubby- 
ftalked plants are divided into twenty-five 
genera or claflfes ; as follow : 
S 2 i. Sub-^ 
