PREFACE.

I AM induced to lay before the Society

an account of the North American oaks, from the French of " Michaux's Histoire Des Chênes De L'Amerique Septentrionale," as I believe no full view or translation of this highly useful, valuable and elegant work, has yet appeared in English dress.

The very enlarged and interesting edition of Miller's Dictionary, by Professor Martyn, lately published, takes no notice whatsoever of the N. American oaks, as arranged by Michaux and Willdenow, which circumstance appears to me somewhat extraordinary, as the former published his Histoire Des Chênes, in 1801;

a

and

and the latter that part of his Species Plantarum, which treats of oaks, in 1805; whereas the part, which speaks of Quercus or Oaks, in Professor Martyn's Miller was published in 1807. By those observations I mean no slight whatsoever, nor would wish to be considered as insinuating any want of attention or industry on the part of the highly learned and respectable author, who perhaps has not seen the publications alluded to, or whose observations on oaks perhaps were printed off, before they fell into his hands; but merely to account and apologize for my presuming to take up a subject so interesting, and laying this translation before the Society.Moreover, as professor and lecturer on botany to this valuable and useful body of noblemen and gentlemen, originally instituted for the purpose of encouraging agriculture, husbandry, and planting, I consider myself called upon, from motives of very high consideration, to miss no opportunity

of