886 



From the next proposition I must entirely dissent ; namely, that 

 " Nature creates species ; " for it is easy to perceive that the term spe- 

 cies is applied to an assemblage of individuals, which, from their 

 great resemblance to each other, and from their capability of propa- 

 gating their like, are called species. Were the creation of species 

 allowed, I cannot see any rational objection to the admission that ge- 

 nera, orders, classes, &c. were created ; for what is true of a smaller 

 assemblage may be true of a larger one. On the other hand, I contend 

 that Nature simply created individuals capable of propagating their 

 kind ; and if we trust to the Mosaic account of the creation, we shall 

 see reason to believe that plants as well as animals were individually 

 created. It is evident that the term species applies to one of the pri- 

 mary inductions from a comparison of individuals; notthata specieshas 

 any absolute existence, but is merely the conception or expression of 

 the points of resemblance of a certain number of individuals bearing 

 the greatest resemblance to each other. Another argument against 

 Mr. Edmonston's view, is the fact of the existence of varieties ; a still 

 lower induction from individuals ! 



Two other propositions are contained in the same paragraph of Mr. 

 Edmonston's letter. 1. That it is difficult to establish the hypothesis 

 that Nature has created plants upon a certain plan, and thrown them 

 into classes, orders, genera and species : and — 2. That this scheme of 

 Nature is identical with one or other of the natural systems. 



I cannot discover the difficulty that Mr. Edmonston conjures up 

 against the proof that Nature has followed a plan in the creation of 

 ])lants ; for the fact that a plan has been followed in their creation, is 

 established by the simple fact, that plants are capable of being ar- 

 ranged and distributed into classes, orders, genera and species ; for 

 had they been created at random, they would form a chaotic mass, 

 and no such regular gradation of affinities could have been establish- 

 ed. The very fact that one great group of plants possesses distinct 

 sexual organs, while another is destitute of them ; and that the indi- 

 viduals belonging to these two great divisions possess many other 

 points in common (as for example the presence of vessels in the sex- 

 ual group), and that these are connected by certain oscillatory groups ; 

 is sufficient evidence of a plan in the creation of plants. Unless a 

 plan were followed, all attempts at classification would be futile. 



By what I have said above I do not mean to infer that what we 

 term classes, orders, genera and species were formed by Nature, for 

 that would give these abstractions real existence ; they are indeed 

 nothing more than creations of the mind of man ; they are the expres- 

 sion of the resemblances of plants one to another in a series of ab- 



