Oi ( 46 ) 



III. Remarks on the Identity of certain general Laws which have 

 been lately observed to regulate the natural Distribution of Insects 

 and Fungi. By W. S. MacLeay, Esq. M.A. F.L.S. 



Read November 5, 1822. 



The naturalists of the present day have in one respect a peculiar 

 claim to the appellation of disciples of Linnaeus ; inasmuch as 

 they direct their chief attention to what this great master de- 

 clared to be the end of all his immortal labours in botany. His 

 admirable maxim, that the natural system is the " ultimus bo- 

 tanices finis" is now not only universally admitted, but on all 

 sides acted upon. The natural system is in fact not only made 

 the remote consequence, but the immediate aim, of every mo- 

 dern observation in natural history ; the rule now being, to com- 

 mence with supposing nothing known but what has actually 

 been observed, and by comparing the affinities thus collected, 

 to search after that knowledge of natural groups which in the 

 old methods we started with supposing to be already acquired. 

 They who formerly confined themselves to artificial systems, 

 and neglected the above important maxim of Linnaeus, have 

 at least thereby lost much gratification, since, if there be 

 nothing within the whole range of human science more worthy 

 of profound meditation than the plan by which the Deity 

 regulated the creation ; so most assuredly no study is more cal- 

 culated to administer pure and unmixed delight. Thus, for 

 example, the satisfaction of the mere gazer at a collection of 



animals 



