THE PHYTOLOGIST. 



No. XXXVII. 



JUNE, MDCCCXLIV, 



Price Is. 



Art. CCXVIII. — Further Remarks on Botanical Classification. 

 By Thomas Edmonston, jun., Esq. 



Aberdeen, April, 1844. 



Sir, 



I beg to trouble you with a few remarks on Dr. Ayres's 

 letter (Phytol. 885), replying to my former paper, (Id. 759). 



Dr. A. seems, in the first instance, to have quite misunderstood my 

 meaning in objecting to the abandonment of the Linnaean system ; if 

 he keeps in view my primary proposition, that an artificial scheme is 

 necessary to the beginner, he will find that much of his reasoning is 

 thrown away, and that not seldom he is arguing in parallel lines with 

 myself. I never objected to the " natui'atl " system as a part of the 

 study of Botany, and my arguments were mainly intended to show 

 how improper a system it is for a student. Bearing this in mind, I 

 shall shortly examine the value of some of Dr. Ayres's vindications. 



In the first place, I confess I can see little analogy between the 

 Linnaean system and an " index," to which Dr. A. is pleased to liken 

 it. By an index we ascertain indeed the name of any article we are 

 wishing to find in a bulky encyclopoedia or other book, but nothing 

 more. Will Dr. Ay res say that after we have, by the aid of the Lin- 

 naean system, acquired the knowledge of the name of a plant, we still 

 know nothing of that plant } Must we not first ascertain the number 

 and position of its stamens, then the character of its calyx, corolla, 

 fruit &c., next of its root, leaves, inflorescence, &c. ; and all this be- 

 fore we can know the name ? And from the first step, the ascertain- 

 ing of its class, we are continuing to acquire information regarding the 

 structure of the plant. The "natural" botanists wish to be in a great 

 hurry, teaching the student all about the plant at the outset, and 

 making him learn at first what he would far better become acquainted 

 with at a later stage of his progress ; in short, in homely phrase, " put- 

 ting the cart before the horse." If a Linnean botanist were to say to 

 the student, " You must find out the number and position of the sta- 

 mens and pistils of that plant, but do'nt stir a step further, as you re- 

 verence the memory of him of Upsala ; all you have to do is to know 

 that such a plant belongs to Pentandria, Monogynia, you have no 



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