962 



inductions of genus, order, class, &c. Having thus formed an intel- 

 lectual ladder, he can ascend or descend by it at pleasure ; he can 

 follow the original ascending series, or, starting from the higher divi- 

 sions, he can descend to the individual. The former is done in the 

 construction of species, genera, classes &c. ; the latter, when posses- 

 sing these deductions, he wishes to arrive at particulars. The one is 

 the ascent from particular to general ; the other, the descent from the 

 general to the particular. 



Thus species, like genus, order and class, being shown to be a 

 purely intellectual conception capable of being expressed by certain 

 characters, it follows that all substances possessing these characters 

 will necessarily belong to, or be included under the species. 



As the term species is applicable to minerals, to which the power 

 of genesis, in the usual sense of the word, is denied, it follows that 

 the power of generating their like is an accidental, though important, 

 adjunct to the idea of species when applied to organized beings. 

 The power of genesis is then one only of the characters of the species. 

 Thus we are again reduced to the creation of individual plants and 

 animals, having as one of their most important characters the power 

 of reproducing similar individuals. 



The foregoing exposition of my views relating to species will ex- 

 plain why I consider that the evidence of varieties is opposed to Mr. 

 Edmonston's opinions, since varieties will be equally intellectual con- 

 ceptions, differing simply from the primary idea of the species in some 

 unimportant character ; — a minor induction. Varieties are of two 

 kinds ; those trivial variations that give the peculiar character to the 

 individual, and those more important variations which are con- 

 stantly found in a certain number of individuals, and are often propa- 

 gated for several generations. I shall be glad to be informed how the 

 latter are to be distinguished from species, according to the views of 

 my opponents ! The very difficulty of distinguishing varieties from 

 species ; the alternate exaltation of varieties into species and depres- 

 sion of former species to varieties which abound in all works on sys- 

 tematic Botany, show that they are inductions from a smaller number 

 of characters. 



With reference to the quotation from Dr. Lindley's ' Key to Bota- 

 ny,' I have to apologise for the oversight I have inadvertently made, in 

 including the term species among the groups to which he refers in the 

 passage quoted by Mr. Edmonston ; but if the previous argument be 

 correct, the lapsus will be of little consequence, since the quotation 

 will be as applicable to species as to any other group. 



