)} 
THE 
MONTHLY .MAGAZINE. 
a 
No. 122. | 
DECEMBER 1, 1804. 
[5 of VoL. 18s 
eaten 
ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS, 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine, 
SIR, 
| DID not think it neceffary to reply 
JL formally to a letter on the fubje&t of 
the Flora Britannica, publithed with the 
fienature of R. H.C. in your fixteenth 
volume, becaufe the third volume of my 
work was about to appear, and [I there 
quoted that ktter for the only point which 
icemed to me to require notice; J mean 
a fynonym in Dr. Hull’s Flora for Hrera- 
cium Villofum. YT would not enter into a 
controverly whether the long-leaved wa- 
ter Ranunculus were a {pecies or variety, 
becaufe, on confideration, I found ‘no rea- 
fon to alter my own fentiments. If I had, 
I fhould moft readily have corrected my- 
ielf, even by the light of an anonymous 
writer. The point in difpute mutt re- 
ynain as a matter of opinion, like many 
ethers in natural hiftory, till experiments, 
or more precife obfervaticns, throw addi- 
tional light upon it. Still lefs did I feel 
inclined to apologize for the delay of my 
third volume. All who knew. me had 
been fufficiently acquainted with the fe- 
vere difeafe which, for more than a year, 
rendered me incapable of uling my eyes; 
and [I fhould have thought an author 
who had not voluntarily difappointed the 
public, might have been compaflionated 
tor this unfortunate delay. Thole moft 
verfed in botany will be moft aware of 
the extreme labour, attention, and acute- 
nels of fight, requifite to compofe that 
part of my work which contains the 
moffes, and which is all founded on ac- 
tual obfervation. The {tate of my eyes 
obliged me to apply but for a fhort time 
together; and though the complaint is 
now, providentially, almoft entirely re- 
moved, it will allow me to purfue the 
reft of the fubjeét at intervals only. I 
fhould not have troubled you or the pub- 
lic on this head, were it not to guard 
againit expe@lations from any quarter that 
I may not be able to fatisfy, and which . 
I fhall only anfwer by completing the 
work as foon and as well as I can. 
Another letter has appeared in your 
Magazine for November, with the fame 
fignature. From ‘the reference te Dr, 
Montruiy Mag. No. 22. 
Hull’s (not Dr. Bell’s) work, T prefume 
the writer to bea Mr. Caley ; a gentleman 
whofe name J have heard, but-or his fitu- 
ation, profeffion, connections, or abilitiesys 
I know nothing more than is to be. dea 
duced from thefe letters. 
I cannot but regret that he did net con- 
fult fome botanift, or fcholar, before his 
remarks were committed to the prefs; for 
it isa painful office, even in one’s own 
unavoidablé defence, to refute what seems 
chiefly founded in miftake, and which is 
accompanied by fo much apparent urba- 
nity. If, however, I were to be filent 
any longer, though the learned might not 
be mifled, the unJearned muit have a verv 
mean opinion of me and my book.E 
proceed to each pafagtaph of the criticifm 
in order. 
Page 96. Poa jiuitans was firft re- 
moved from the Feffuce, not by Scopoli, 
but by Haller, whom I have quoted ac- 
cordingly. If I had been aware of it, TE 
would neverthelefs have quoted Scopolis 
and if another edition ever appears, 1 
fhall profit by Mr. Caley’s hint. Let me, 
however, take this opportunity of faying, 
the great uncertainty of Scopoli’s plants 
(as have no means of feeing his !peci- 
mens, and Carnicla is fo different a coune 
try from England) has made me. very 
fparing of references to his work.—See 
Tranfactions of the Linnean Society, vol. 
4, page 280. Inthe prefent inftance in 
deed there is no uncertainty. 
Page 145. To the criticifm in this 
paragraph, a tranfcript of the Latin paf- 
fage’ in queftion will afford a {uiicient 
an{wer. 
“¢ Arundinis genus maxime naturale nur- 
quam eb numerum flofculorum, in diverfis 
Jpectebus diverfum, dtlacerandum.” 
If this, even without the cotitext, can 
be tranflated ¢«* the genus of Arundo 
being by no means natural,” &c. all the 
Latinifls in England mutt go to {chool to 
Mr. Caley! 
So far is fufficicnt for my juftifica- 
tion, and I fhould feel more concern 
than anger towards the critic, were I - 
the only perfon intere'ted ; but Here I 
muft lay afide my own feelings, and plead 
the caufe of jultice. I have turned, Sirs — 
4D te 
