and Genera of Chlorospermous ATgse. 405 



the work that first introduced the Natural System of plants to 

 the student of English botany ; for I need make no secret of 

 the fact that I alone am responsible for that part of the work, 

 since, though it was published under my father's name, he 

 wrote the introduction only. Having in his youth studied 

 British plants according to the system of Ray, he never would 

 adopt the Linnsean system ; and the only interest that he took 

 in the scientific part of the work was that he considered the 

 ' Genera Plantarum' of Jussieu as a revision and modification, 

 according to the increase of knowledge, of the Rayian method, 

 while he regarded the Linnsean system as only a dictionary 

 by means of which the names of plants could be most easily 

 discovered. The kind encouragement and assistance which I 

 received during its preparation from M. DeCandolle, the father, 

 and M. Dunal of Geneva (then in England), from Mr. R. A # 

 Salisbury, and from my dear friends Edward Bennett, the late 

 Secretary of the Zoological Society, and J. J.Bennett, now Keeper 

 of the Botanical Collection in the Museum, and the use that the 

 course of study it necessitated has been to me in after life, fully 

 made up for all the obstruction and difficulties that were thrown 

 in my way by other botanists, which delayed the appearance of 

 the work for nearly a year, and for the ill-will exhibited towards 

 me for many years after. But their opposition was of no avail : 

 the Natural System has been established for years ; and though 

 the work was not a success — and, indeed, how could one be 

 that attempted to introduce at once into English botany almost 

 all that had been done on the Continent up to the period of its 

 publication, and thus was so far in advance of the then state 

 of botanical knowledge in England, where the study bad been 

 under the incubus of a blind attachment to the Linnsean system ? 

 — yet it has kept its ground ; and the very opposition was useful 

 to me by causing me to pay more attention to analytical studies, 

 and to carry into zoology the knowledge, accurate terminology, 

 and systematic method of study employed in the sister science 

 which has led me to believe that the study of botany is the best 

 introduction, even now, for the successful prosecution of the other 

 branches of natural science. 



The Melanosperms, and especially the Rhodosperms, have 

 been well studied*. The Chlorosperms have been divided into a 

 series of families or orders : but these families have not been 

 arranged in satisfactory groups ; at least, that is the conclusion 



* Mr. Berkeley, however, observes, " Thuret describes and figures the 

 antheridia of Dictyota dichotoma, and shows the necessity of considerable 

 reformation in the classification of the Melancsnerms, in consequence of 

 the diversity of the reproductive organs." — Introd. Crypt, p. 566. 



