614 ON THE DISTINCTION OF SPECIES. 
divisions of long received species, it might almost be said, 
that we are now farther off than ever. 
In the course of this present year, 1843, another volume 
has been added to the list of our descriptive floras, in the 
* Manual of British Botany,” by Mr. C. C. Babington ; and 
it still adds also more examples to the discords of opinion - 
respecting the limits which should be drawn between species 
and varieties. To the great assistance which the author must 
have derived from the works of his predecessors, he has 
joined his own long and diligent study of the same plants in 
the wilds of nature, and in collections for the herbarium. As 
the result of his labours, we see the combination of some 
alleged species, whieh had been held distinct by his prede- 
cessors, and likewise, (probably in more numerous instances) 
the sub-division of other species which they had described as 
one and the same. Moreover, we occasionally observe added 
to his notices of varieties, still retained as such, the signifi- 
cant hint of * probably a distinct species.” Are we to con- 
clude from this hint, that the sub-division of species has not 
yet attained its mazimum ? I fear so; and yet, I will venture 
to say (but certainly without wishing to evince any disrespect 
to Mr. Babington, whose acuteness of observation is to be 
admired,) that it requires no magical foresight to predict the — 
early re-union of several of his disjunctions, already made, | ; 
or apparently intended to be made hereafter. 
While so much uncertainty is thus shown to remain, and 
views so discordant are continually put forth, it must be — - 
obvious enough that there is a want of some guiding prin-  - 
ciples, or practically recognized rules, by which the validity 
of alleged species may be more satisfactorily tested. In the 
absence of any such rules, or their practical neglect if such — 
rules exist, each describer of plants is guided by his own  - 
individual experience and wishes. "There may appear some- 
thing strange in thus writing * wishes," where the professed | 
object is, to give an exposition of the realities of external — 
nature. But I will keep to the word, and digress, for a few — 
lines, into an explanation of its use here. There can be no - 
