Xll PREFACE. 



with his text, being inclosed between brack- 

 ets. The characters of some Orders in the 

 1st Class, better understood since he wrote, 

 as the Musci and Filices, are totally reformed. 

 To his definitions of a few others, given in 

 his own words, are subjoined more complete 

 and correct accounts, founded on more recent 

 inquiries, as is particularly the case with the 

 20th, 21st, 26th, and 47th Orders. The esta- 

 blishment of new Orders, either by himself 

 or other botanists of eminence, since his book 

 came out, is indicated under the original 

 Order from which each new one has been se- 

 parated. The aim of the present work how- 

 ever is not, by any means, to give a full view 

 of these. As nothing is more easy than sub- 

 division in such studies, it is no wonder that 

 the followers of Jussieu should often carry 

 that principle too far; just as young botanists 

 are prone to multiply genera. The talents 

 for judicious combination are infinitely more 

 rare. We must wait therefore till some of 

 these innovations shall receive confirmation 

 from superior authorities, as well as from 

 long experience. My present design is rather 

 to exemplify the original System of Jussieu; 



