366 Of ESSENTIAL 



his Philosophia Botanica^ M4ience tlie above 

 definitions are taken. Instead of confining 

 it to one mark or idea, he, in his Syatcma 

 Vegetabilium, makes it comprehend all the 

 distinctions requisite to discriminate each ge^ 

 nus from every other in the system, only 

 avoiding a repetition at every step of the 

 characters of the artificial class and order, 

 which stand at the top of each page, and are 

 not always essential to the character of the 

 genus. This is the kind of generic character 

 now universally adopted, and indeed die only 

 one in common use. The learned Jussieu 

 has given it the sanction of his approbation 

 and adoption, as far as its plan is concerned, 

 throughout his immortal work, subjoining in 

 a different type such characters and remarks 

 as belong to the habit, or refer to other cir- 

 cumstances. For my own part I profess to 

 retain, not only the plan, but the very words 

 of Linnaius, unless I find them erroneous, 

 copying nothing without examination, but 

 altering with a very sparing hand, and leav- 

 ing much for future examination. I cannot 

 blame my predecessors for implicitly copying 

 the Linna^an chai'acters, nor should I have 



