Plukenet,. 27 
Plukenet's work contains upwards of 
2740 figures. Moft of them w^ere engraved 
from dried fpecimens, and many from fmall 
fprigs, deflitute of flowers, or any parts of 
frudlification, and confequently not to be 
afcertained : feveral of thefe, neverthelefs, as 
better fpecimens came to hand, are figured 
a fecond time, in the fubfequent plates. As 
he employed a variety of artifts, they are 
very unequally done : thofe by Vander Gucht 
have ufually the preference. The imperfec- 
tions of this work, however, are, in a great 
degree, thofe of the times ; yet it cannot but 
be regretted that Plukenet had it not in. 
his power to have given his figures on a 
larger fcale. There are unqueftionably 
many varieties exhibited as real fpecies ; 
and one great defed: runs nearly through 
the whole work, that the new plants are 
no further defcribed, than by the fpecifical 
definitions, which, under the want of true 
generical charafliers, were then infufficient. 
It is, notwithftanding, a large magazine 
of botanical ftores ; inafmuch as, no work 
before publifhed by one man, ever exhibited 
fo great a number of new plants. And as 
many 
