2(> NATl KAL CLASSIFICATION. 



N ATUIiA L CLASSIFICATION. 



The fathers and improvers of the Natural 

 method have not settled, which are to be the 

 first and last Genera in the serial arrangement. 

 Adanson in 17G3 began with Tremella, ending 

 with the Mosses, thus going in a circle. He was 

 followed by Scopo'i who began with Incompletes 

 ending with Fungi, but Linneus from the Palms 

 to Fungi. Jussieu in 1789 began with Mucor 

 ending with Abii'S, from the most simple plant 

 to the loftiest trees. Decandole in his flora 

 gallica 1806 began with Nostoch ending with 

 Jictea. In his synopsis plantarum he has re- 

 versed this order in imitation of Zoology, be- 

 ginning with Clematis. Necker in 1790 began 

 with Itnda in the Radiate, ending with the 

 Confervas. 



Therefore I thought in 1815 that I could im- 

 prove thereon by beginning with Rosa., the 

 queen of flowers, as Homo is the king of ani- 

 mals! ending witlt Mucor., but now I end with 

 Spunges. 'I'he most perfect flower ought to 

 open the descending Series of organization, and 

 not the Umbellifera of Lindley series. Agardh 

 has again taken the ascending series and be- 

 gun with Fungi in 1822. 



Thus they all differ in this, and do not agree 

 better in their clusters of Classes, Orders and 

 families. From Cesalpini who in 1583 made 

 the first attempt at a natural method to our 

 days, all the methods are variable ; but begin to 

 improve since Adanson or rather Jussieu, and 

 have increased from his 58 families to nearly 

 400; which have been called Sub-Orders, Sub- 



