OF JUSSIEU. 315 



plant be known to him or not ; and if at the same time 

 we refer it, by its artificial characters, to the Linnaean 

 System, we can hardly fail to ascertain, even under the 

 most difficult circumstances, whether it be described by 

 either of these authors. A student may acquire a com- 

 petent knowledge of natural orders, with very great 

 pleasure to himself, by repeatedly turning over the work 

 of Jussicu with any known plants in his hand, and con- 

 templating their essential generic characters in the first 

 place, and then what regards their habit and affinities ; 

 proceeding afterwards to combine in his own mind their 

 several points of agreement, till he is competent to form 

 an idea of those assemblages which constitute natural 

 Classes and Orders. This will gradually extend his 

 ideas ; whereas a contrary mode would only contract 

 them, and his Jussieu would prove merely an artificial 

 guide, without^the advantages of facility or perspicuityo 



