the natural Distribution of Insects and Fungi. 53 



correspondent. Ultima cosmica momenta differunt, sed cite- 

 riora congruunt, quaj in habitu extern© et characteribus acci- 

 dentalibus mutandis maxime valent. Ubicumque in Historic 

 naturali oculos convertimus, singulum organismum multiplicia 

 hujus off'erunt exempla. Systema mycologicum infra explica- 

 tum his omnino nititur. Clavaria et Feziza, Biatora et Bao- 

 myces affines sunt; sed Clavaria et Baomyces, Peziza et Biatora 

 analogs, e. s. p. in infinitum. 



" Comparatio Linnajana affinitatis plantarum cum mapp^ geo- 

 graphic^ haud ignobilis visa fuit ; ignoscatur igitur mihi hanc 

 ita extendenti, ut affinitas in hac indicet longitudinem et analo- 

 gia latitudinem. 



" Neque hoc tantum in inferiores classes quadrat. Naturae 

 leges ubique harmonicas. Si systema mycologicum et principia, 

 quibus nititur, omnibus non displicerent, totius regni vegetabi- 

 lis dispositionem demonstrare conabor. Plurima jam elaboravi." 



Relations of affinity being thus separated from those of ana- 

 logy, we immediately get the following facts from the observa- 

 tion of what M. Agardh terms the affinity of Transitus, namely, 

 that species form the only absolute division in nature, and that 

 no groups of species (whatever may be the rank of these groups) 

 ought to be considered as insulated, but only as series of affini- 

 ties returning into themselves, and forming as it were circles 

 which touch other circles. Such only are natural groups. This 

 was said of Insects*; and our author, looking only at plants, 

 and principally at Fungi, comes to the same conclusion, as ap- 

 pears from the following words : " Species unica in natur4 

 fix^ circumscripta idea. Superiores nullas agnovimus scctiones 



although a solitary resemblance may mislead, it is clear that when we find several of 

 such resemblances to keep parallel to each other in contiguous series, we may reckon 

 upon their having some more solid foundation than our own fancy. 

 * Horn Entomological) p. 459 &c. 



strictissime 



