108 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. 



to be more nearly with the Angiospores, (the Lycopods, etc.) 

 Botanical writers generally, admit this defect in the present 

 arrangement, and yet persist in perpetuating it ; such is the 

 disposition to follow authority without examination. The 

 doctrine that "the king can do no wrong" is equally delete- 

 rious in botany and in politics ! 



If the more simple forms of plants were first created, to 

 which were added, from time to time, those of more compli- 

 cated structure ; and if the arrangement of classes must corres- 

 pond with that of their introduction in geologic time, we must 

 adopt this new classification ; for it is found that the Coniferoe 

 existed in the Devonian age, while the Monocotyledons extend 

 back only to that of the Carboniferous. 



By thus removing the Gymnosperms from between the 

 Dicotyledonous and the Monocotyledonous plants we bring 

 these two nearly related grand divisions of the Angiosperms 

 together ; thus while we separate the Exogens, part into one 

 class and part into another, we at the same time unite and 

 bring together the Angiosperms, which have been unnaturally 

 separated. By the divorce of an unnatural union we secure 

 another, more congenial. 



In the following table an attempt is made to represent, in a 

 compact form, the ideas I have thus attempted to explain ; and 

 also to show how each class may be divided into two well 

 characterized groups. 



