244 
F R E F A C E. 
numbers after the Englifh. names of animals re- 
fer either to his Hiftoria Avium, or Pifcium, ac- 
cording to the fubjedt'f. I chofe to refer to Ray, 
as well as barely give the Englifh names, for the 
eafe and fatisfa&ion of fuch as put a due value 
on that ineftimable writer, whofe works do honor 
to our nation, as a late difciple of the great Swe~ 
difh naturalifc juftly obferves. I cannot help fay- 
ing, farther upon this occafion, that no writer till 
his time ever advanced all the branches of natu- 
ral hiftory fo much as that fagacious, accurate, 
and diligent Englifh obferver, whofe fyftematical 
fpirit threw a light on every thing he undertook, 
and contributed not a little to thofe great and 
wonderful improvements, which have been fince 
introduced.. 
2. I have omitted moft of the plants which are 
not natives of England ; both becaufe it is not 
eafy to find Englifh names for them which have 
any authority, and becaufe i had fcarcely any ob~ 
iervations in my own Calendar, but on fuch plants 
as are native. Some foreign ones however i have 
retained, particularly fuch as are common in al~ 
moft every garden •, and fuch as are marked in 
the Calendar, as more than ordinary prognoftico 
Thefe laft are printed in large characters. 
3. I have retained the divifion of months ac- 
cording to budding, leafing, flowering, &c. tho 3 
i could not imitate this method in my own Ca- 
lendar for want of more experience ; but i am 
•f Some perhaps may think that i need not have referred to 
Ray for birds fo well known as feveral mentioned in the Ca- 
lendars; but the want of this caution in many authors, has 
produced great confuiion and doubt about the things meant in 
every branch of natural hiftory. 
convinced 
