Familj/ of Laniadce. 291 



mission of new divisions ; and the very disciples of Linnaeus have 

 nearly doubled the number of genera contained in the 'early 

 editions of their master's system. Let us look a little at the 

 consequences that have followed. A very large proportion of 

 those eminent botanists who have flourished since the time of 

 Linnaeus, have been natives of England. While, in our own days, 

 we can boast of one whose eminent superiority is acknowledged 

 throughout Europe. Such, in Botany, has been the consequence 

 of acting on the spirit, and not on the letter, of the Systema 

 Naturae. 



We will now consider how far the study of Ornithology has 

 kept pace with that of Botany. This portion of the Linnaean 

 arrangement is acknowledged to be imperfect; yet it has unfortu- 

 nately happened, that no one of his disciples, possessing a vigorous 

 and comprehensive mind, has ventured to carry on the work of 

 improvement, by following the example set them by their great 

 master. Linnaeus, in every succeeding edition of his works, 

 increased the number of his genera, and amended the descriptions 

 of the species. And it is somewhat singular, that In one of the 

 last essays with which he enriched science, are contained the 

 characters of two new genera ; as if, by this act, he intended 

 leaving us an example to alter and improve our systems, as our 

 "knowledge of Nature becomes more extended. But no : English 

 Ornithologists, since that day, have fancied that they could not 

 show greater respect to the memory of Linnaeus, than by guarding 

 his system against all amendment or improvement: thus they 

 have gone on, overloading all the old genera with hosts of birds 

 they were never intended to contain ; until, at length, the whole 

 system is become an inextricable labyrinth, in a great measure 

 useless, either for scientific or practical purposes. It resembles 

 one of those beautiful trees I have seen in (he forests of America, 

 on which the seeds of different parasitic plants have been casually 

 deposited : these take root, and gradually spread from branch to 

 branch, until the whole becomes one undistinguishable mass. 

 The proportions of the parent tree are no longer seen ; and, over- 

 loaded by vegetation, not originally its own, it falls to the ground 

 a heap of ruins. 



i;2 



