525 



As an individual opinion, however, we hold that there is no system 

 of Nature at all, in the sense of separate and distinct groups, whether 

 they are to be called alliances, or orders, or genera. We conceive it 

 quite as natural to classify temperatures into tens, twenties, thirties, 

 &c., or into temperatures melting ice, temperatures melting wax, tem- 

 peratures melting metals, &c., as to classify the objects of organic 

 Nature into orders and genera. The gradations of structure slide 

 into each other ; and draw the lines of separation where we will, the 

 objects on the two sides of the same dividing line, will be more alike 

 ^an are the objects on the contrary margins of the space between 

 two lines. It matters not whether we take a linear series, or circles, 

 or rays from a centre ; wherever we throw many objects into groups, 

 we cut through links of connexion, by which some of them are inti- 

 mately connected with others to be left out of their own group. To 

 revert to our former example of the Fumariaceag, we find Hypecoum 

 placed in the Berberal alliance, and Chelidonium placed in the Ranal 

 alliance ; yet surely no botanist could hesitate to say that Hypecoum 

 is much more like unto a Chelidonium than unto a Vitis or Berberis ! 



We alluded also to another debateable matter in the Englished 

 names of orders. An authority before referred to, objects very decid- 

 edly to this part of ' The Vegetable Kingdom,' pronouncing the terms 

 Orchids, Hippurids, Typhads and Arads "intolerable" to his ears, 

 and conceiving that " no educated person will prefer the use of these 

 terms." Some of the terms are rather harsh-sounding, it must be al- 

 lowed ; yet to our ears there is nothing intolerable in them, and some 

 of them even sound better than the Latinized terms themselves ; more 

 particularly so when used in the singular number. An Orchid sounds 

 equally well, and is more conveniently uttered than an Orchidacea ; 

 a Cucurbit sounds quite as euphoniously as a Cucurhitacea. The 

 reviewer appeals to educated persons. We believe the appeal ought 

 to be to those educated persons who are not familiar with Latin ; for 

 there is a prejudice of education, which may reconcile us to sounds 

 that in themselves are less euphonious, though more familiar. We 

 will acknowledge ourselves wrong, when the ears of educated ladies, 

 little used to the Latinized terminations, have decided against Dr. 

 liindley's innovations. In short, we prefer most of them, for writing 

 or speaking, in the English language. Our own objection lies rather 

 against the partiality of their use. Though Celastrads cannot be 

 called one of the sweet sounds, it should be preferred before Spindle- 

 trees, which is substituting a generic in place of an ordinal name, and 

 thus confusing grades of classification. Or, should Celastrads be 

 Vol. II. 3 t 



