Ray. 275 
more interefting manner than by hiftorical 
detail. 
As the general fubjeft of thefe letters is 
natural hiftory, fo botany bears a prevail- 
ing portion. Befides numberlefs critical 
obfervations that occur on particular fpe- 
cies, we meet with a long catalogue of the 
rare plants of the north of England, by Mr* 
Lawson ; Dr. Plukenet's Obfervations 
on the firft edition of the Synopjis 
thofe of Dr. Preston on various Britijlj 
Plants; a paper of "Thomas Willisel's 
fpecifying the different kinds of trees, oa ' 
which, in his travels, he had feen the Mif^ 
feltoe growing ; and a lift of fuch exotics as 
were thought rare at that time in the Chel-* 
fea Garden, and at Fulham^ 
There is, moreover, among thefe letters, 
an interefting paper, written by Mr. R.AY 
himfelf, in anfwer to the queftion, What 
number of plants there are in the world 
in which he difcuffes the difficulty, or im-» 
poffibility, of gaining fatisfadlion on this 
point, arifing from the want of fufficient 
bounds between fpecies and variety. He 
communicated to the Royal Society fomc 
T 2 rcQiarks 
