LINNiEAN ARTIFICIAL METHOD. 279 



But before we give a detail of his artificial system, we 

 must first see how this grettt man fixed the fundamental 

 principles of botanical science. Nor are these princi- 

 ples confined to botanj^ though they originated in that 

 study. The Linnsean style of discriminating plants, 

 has been extended by himself and others to animals and 

 even fossils ; and his admirable principles of nomencla- 

 ture are applied with great advantage even to chemistry 

 itself, now become so vast and accurate a science. 



Independently of all general methods of classification, 

 whether natural or artificial, plants, as well as animals, 

 are distinguished into Genera^% Species and Varieties, 



By Species are understood so many individuals, or, 

 among the generality of animals, so many pairs, as are 

 presumed to have been formed at the creation, and have 

 been perpetuated ever since ; for though some animals 

 appear to have been exterminated, we have no reason 

 to suspect any new species has been produced ; neither 

 have we any cause to suppose any species of plant has 

 been lost, nor any new one permanently established, 

 since their first formation, notwithstanding the specula- 

 tions of some philosophers. We frequently indeed see 

 new Varieties, by which word is understood a variation 

 in an established species ; but such are imperfectly, or 

 for a limited time, if at all, perpetuated in the offspring. 



A Genus comprehends one or more species, so es- 

 sentially different in formation, nature, and often many 



* Our scientific language in English is not sufficiently perfect 

 to afford a plural for genus, and we are therefore obliged to 

 adopt the Laun one, genera, though it exposes us sometimes te 

 the horrors of hearing of « a new genera" of plants. 



