of the Dichotomous System. 439 



or any thing else, provided always that the said lout does not 

 fall into " the error which LinnfEus committed, in neglecting 

 to arrange his groups so as to preserve their subordinate 

 relations." This evil Dr. Fleming thinks not likely to be 

 removed " until distinct conceptions shall prevail i-especting 

 positive and negative characters." Although there be too 

 much reason to fear that his own distinct conceptions are de- 

 ferred ad Grcecas calendas, I still indulge some hope of his 

 granting that in the above "dichotomous arrangement" a 

 very distinct conception of positive and negative characters 

 has been shown. Man in this system may be compared to 

 the trunk of a tree. Dominies and D.D.s to the branches, and 

 John Fleming to the bud or leaf on the spray. 



But jesting apart, it is almost incredible that any person 

 pretending to be a naturalist should at this time of day palm 

 such stuff' upon us as the summum honum of natural history. 

 " How different," cries the Reverend D.D. in the very ecstasy 

 of self-approbation, *' How different is this mode of aiding 

 the student, from those cumbrous methods in common use 1 

 But there are obvious reasons why it is so generally neglected. 

 The labour of an author who pursues the dichotomous method 

 is greatly increased." Increased indeed the labour is by the 

 distinction of yes and no on every possible point of habit and 

 structure being manifestly infinite; and nevertheless such is 

 the degrading nature of this useless toil that it can be under- 

 taken by eveiy person who can count his five fingers. But if 

 the labour be thus greatly increased, according to the Doctor's 

 confession, how is the Dichotomous method less cumbrous than 

 the methods in common use ? " Aye, that is a question," as 

 his countrymen say. 



I never have had the sleepiness of knowing whether Dr. 

 Fleming be one of the tribe of spin-texts, but he now gives 

 amj)le proofs of his being a very able Twist-text. He excells 

 even his Joe Miller brother of the cloth, who extinguished 

 ladies' top-knots by the well-selected text "Top not come 

 down." Our D.D. deserves credit certainly for lugging me 

 in, of all persons in the world, to favour, by hook and by crook, 

 his dichotomous system. As he had so preposterously cited 

 Aristotle, Lister, and Ray, he might certainly as well throw 

 me in to swell his lump of authorities. "Instead of having 

 discovered the circular arrangement in the organized king- 

 dom" (here by the way is another new kingdom) "as a whole, 

 and accomplished a quinary distribution at the very commence- 

 ment of the sclieme — tlie author has found it necessary to con- 

 sider animals and vegetables as constituting only two distinct 

 circles." To be sure I found it necessary, because Nature 



points 



