S PREAMBLE. 



not SO witli mine. I will give a single in- 

 stance now, Lindley so intermixes the Convol- 

 vulides and Polemonides, that it is impossible 

 to know what he means by them. But I have 

 long ago shown that they are perfectly distin- 

 guished by the Stamens unequal in Convolvu- 

 lides; but equal in the Polemonides — This is 

 the plain evident character that any one can 

 see, and by which many of the Genera of 

 Lindley must be removed, and properly placed 

 in each family : the position of valves is less evi- 

 dent. 



As to Species Lindley often blends many into 

 one, and mistakes others ; but these errors will 

 be rectified hereafter I suppose, or at least are 

 of lesser importance, if all species are variable. 

 Of all variable characters, the colors of flowers 

 are well known to be the least permanent ; yet 

 I was much surprised to see Lindley confess 

 (in article SIdlla plutnbea bot, reg. 1355) that 

 the Genera Skilla and Ornithogalum were 

 merely distinguished hy the colors of their 

 flowers since Linneus . . . ! what a confession, 

 and what a blunder ! for a correct botanist . . ! 

 blue or purple flowers make a SIdlla ! white or 

 yellow an Ornithogalum ! what a mistake ! 

 since the Skilla niaritima type of Skilla has 

 white flowers ! I have proved 30 years ago 

 that the filiform stamens form the real Skilla. 

 I hope my reform of akin Genera, will be deem- 

 ed by him equal to that of the Amaryllis by 

 Sims. 



If I have chiefly noticed Lindley in this in- 

 troduction, it is because 1 value him as a col- 

 league in improving Botany ; but 1 might have 

 made similar remarks on many other European 

 Botanists, that fall into the same mistakes, or 



