
          the Japan and Manchuria plants by myself.
 Concerning the two first no further explanation 
 seems necessary, but as to the Japanese,
 it could appear strange, that this
 present set  is of so heterogeneous a composition:
 some families complete, as Coniferae,
 Araliaceae, Valerianeae, &c, others only begun
 or entirely wanting. But my Diagnoses
 pl. nov. [Diagnoses breves plantarum novarum Japoniae] will show you that I undertook
 first to publish the new species of my
 collection, picking them out just as I hit
 upon them, and stopping to work up such
 families as I have predilection to.
 I was forced to this publication of new plants
 by a rival work on the flora of Japan by
 Prof. Miquel. Now, his Prolusio fl Japanicae [Prolusio florae Iaponicae]
 is finished, and I can proceed in my work
 in a more systematical manner, taking 
 first the Thalo florae. This also shall be
 the object of my next distribution of 
 Japan plants, I presume in Spring 1869.
        