THE STUDY OF BOTANY. 19 
compare it with the Generic description, and finding it agree, 
we try to determine the species. In the 2d volume we find 
there, are five species of Plantain, natives of Britain. These 
species are not subdivided, therefore we begin with the first ; 
the Plantago major; but the leaves are not egg-shaped ; nor 
are the stalks cylindrical. The Plantago media, which is the 
second, agrees pretty well; but the leaves are not pubescent, 
nor is the spike of Flowers cylindrical. With the third species, 
it agrees in every particular ; therefore we call it the Plantago 
lanceolata of Linnzus, or the Ribwort Plantain, 
- EXAMPLE Iv. 
BETULA. (Birch.). . 
The Birch is a tree very generally known. The flowers are 
disposed in Catkins, which appear in April and May. Some 
of these Catkins contain only Stamens within their Scales, 
and.others on the same tree only Pistils. In the former, each 
Aoret contains 4 Stamens, and in the latter 2 Pistils, These 
circumstances direct us to the Clafs Tetrandria, and to the 
Order Digynia. This Order contains 4 Genera, the second ' 
and third of which bear the Male and Female flowers in sepa- 
rate Catkins, as we had before observed to be the case in our 
plant. An attention to the other parts of ‘the characters 
induces us to believe it a Betula, and a comparison with the 
Generic description, removes every pofsible doubt. The Spe- 
cies are only three, and the shape of the leaves decides us to 
call our plant the Betula alba, or common Birch Tree, ) 
"EXAMPLE V. 
LONICE/RA. (Honey-suckle.) 
This plant is common in our hedge-rows, and is very uni-_ 
versally known; but let us suppose a person, who never saw 
it before, struck with the beauty and the fragrance of its 
blofsoms, carrying a piece of it home for examination. _ Find- 
ing 5 Stamens in each flower, and the Anthers not united, he 
refers it to the fifth Clafs. The Orders in that Clafs being 
determined by the number of Pistils, he knows it belongs to 
the Order Monogynia, for he obseryes only one Pistil in each 
See S. 
