Mr.'Withiamo?ii7te Fegetation of the First PeriodqftheWorld. 23 



order to build one in the place of it of which they are unable 

 to finish the roof*." 



That Linnaeus has in many parts of his works highly com- 

 mended those who have (Hstinguished themselves in investi- 

 gating the natural relations of plants, is certain ; but to sup- 

 pose that by this he meant to approve of those who pretended to 

 have formed a natural arrangement, is to attribute to him an 

 opinion which he has disavowed in the most pointed terms. 

 " A real botanist," says he, " will investigate the natural order 

 of plants when it can be discovered ;" but, " he will not boast of 

 having discovered a system perfectly conformable to the laws 

 of naturef." And among his diagnostics of pretended bo- 

 tanists he particularly includes that of " presuming that they 

 are acquainted with a natural method:}:." 



[To be continued.] 



VII. On the Vegetation of the First Period of an Ancient World, 

 that is, from the First Deposit of the Transitiofi Series to the 

 Top of the Coal-field ,- the Magiiesian Limestone forming its 

 upper Limits: voith Remarks on the Prohahilitij of its Vege- 

 table Origin, S;c. By Henry Witham, of' Larti^igton, 

 F.G.S. 3,-c4 



OEING firmly persuaded that the great objects of geo- 

 logy will be much advanced by a serious attention to the 

 history of the vegetation of the different epochs, from the 

 most remote period of organic creation down to the present 

 day ; being most anxious to promote a spirit of inquiry in 

 this country, as ardent as that of our continental neighbours, — 

 I have devoted a certain portion of my time to the examina- 

 tion of different coal-fields, to endeavour to corroborate by 

 proof the assertions of that ingenious French naturalist who 

 lias lately favoured the world with many judicious remarks 

 upon this dark and difficult, but interesting branch of science. 



* " Qui loco metliocli naturaiis disponunt plantas secundum ejus frag- 

 menta, rcsjmiml(pic artificialcm, videntur niilii iis similes, (]ui commodani et 

 fornicatam donium evertuut, in(|iie ejus locum re£edificant aliani, sed tec- 

 tum fornicis conficerc non valent." 



t " Jio/a/iicus verus, ordincm naturaleni, ubi patct indigitet." — liviin. 



" Nee naturalissimam structuram oratorio sermone ebuccinat." — P/iil. 

 Sol. p. 294. 



X " Botanopliili Fallaccs — Methodiuu naturalcm sibi notain crepant.'' — 

 Jlvfiu. Vcff/t. 27. 



§ Iteacl before the ^^'ernerian Society, Dec. .'Jtli, 182!); and communi- 

 cated by the Author. 



shall 



