INTRODUCTION 
CONTINUED. 
T he Genus of Plants called Equifetum^ or Horfetail, 
conftituting a Part of the Order FILICES in the 
LINN^AN SYSTEM, together with the two other 
Genera, the Ifoetes and Pilularia^ are the fubjedl: of the 
prefent Sheets. 
The Horfetails, of which no more than fix Ipecies have 
been difcovered in Great Britain (by that fondnefs for in- 
creafing the number of Plants which almoft Univerfally pre¬ 
vailed amongft the Botaoifts of the laft ap-es) have been in- 
increafed to double their real number, by the Addition of 
imaginary fpecies, 
^ Dilleoius, in the third Edition of Ray^s Synopjis^ enume- 
"ates twelve fuppofed fpecies ; fix of which, that are varieties 
only, and not fpecies, I will here endeavour to point out. 
There is a variety of Equifetum fylvaticum^ not unfre- 
quentiy to be met with by Road-fides and in Pathways, hav¬ 
ing the fecond leaves all turned to one fide of the firft leaf or 
ftem j this happens vrhen the firft leaf has been trod down, 
or by fome Accident fo bent or broken as to lie flat on the 
d Ground ^ 
