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vations relating to thele queftions to the faid academy ; 
which, as it will be highly acceptable to it, will be 
gratefully acknowledged, whenever occafion offers. 
Thus far the author, in relation to his propofals, 
which, as far as can be judged by the plan and fpeci- 
men, feem to deferve the encouragement of the cu- 
rious. 
Every one, who is converfant in botany, knows 
how obfcure and imperfedt this part of it (hill lemains, 
after all that has been done upon the fubjedt. Micheli 
and Dillenius were the firft botanifts that examined 
this order of plants, with any degree of accuracy ; and 
though their obfervations are very confiderable, and 
have been of great fervice to preceding botanifts, yet 
Linnaeus, who mentions them with applaufe, fays, 
Philofophia Botanica, p. 241. that the order of Fungi, 
to the reproach of botany, ftill remains a chaos, as 
we are ignorant what is a fpecies, and what a variety. 
Since the afore-mentioned authors, Gleditfchius, 
who wrote a tradt on the fame fubjedt, which is com- 
mended, expreffes himfelf alfo to the fame purpofe : 
for, fpeaking of Dillenius, in the preface, p. 5 ; 
fays, that his genera are not only not well determined, 
but are even conftrudted in fuch a manner, as to con- 
tradidl the natural charadters ; and as to Micheli, that 
though he firft determined the feeds of the Fungi, yet 
his genera are too artificial ; and therefore, he himfelf 
follows the method ol Linnaeus. . 
Gleditfchius feems to have taken great pains about 
this fubjedt ; but candidly owns, that, after all he 
had been able to do, in order to diftinguifh fpecies 
from varieties, by colledhng all the Fungi he could 
find, difpofing and defcribing them according to the 
T 1 1 2 fe&zz 
