317 



number of such books, and from no teaching but what they taught, 

 become zealous and delighted cultivators of the science. For my own 

 part, though I advance this as a mere feather in the scale, I had no 

 such advantages, I had no plenty of books on the subject, yet one 

 single Linnaean lesson inspired me with a warm enthusiasm for the 

 science. A medical friend who, during his collegiate studies had 

 attended a botanical course, pointed out to me, in a morning's excur- 

 sion, the parts of fructification in several wild flowers, and drew a 

 slight sketch of the principles on which the Linnaean classification is 

 founded : — I was enchanted, all was totally new to me, and I felt de- 

 lighted at the prospect of being soon able to arrive at a knowledge of 

 the plants I might find in my walks ; and that naturally was all I then 

 looked to."— P. 29. 



Wading onward now for nearly seventy pages, we arrive at another 

 brief record of our author's experiences, — one of those which renders 

 him " fairly entitled to express " his " opinions and feelings on the 

 subject." 



" Though I had," he writes, " for a long period been attending little 

 to botanical pursuits, I thought of inquiring into these natural sys- 

 tems, with the impression on my mind, that I was to find something 

 of the highest benefit to everything connected with botanical science; 

 but great, certainly, was my disappointment, on finding them a cha- 

 otic mass of contradictions, their boasted advantages a mere fable, and 

 the praises bestowed on them having the most shadowy foundation." 

 —P. 96. 



Having thus given, pretty much in their own words, the early ex- 

 periences of our author, and those of one whom we cannot help 

 regarding as a high authority in all that relates to botanical science, 

 we may perhaps be allowed to indulge in a little egotistical display 

 by citing, in a very brief manner, our own all but entirely unaided 

 career in the study of botany : advancing it " as a mere feather in the 

 scale ;" but a feather thrown up will show which way the wind blows; 

 and our statement will serve to show that there is nothing insuperable 

 in either mode of acquiring knowledge, even when the pursuit is 

 entered upon with fewer advantages than the authorities we have 

 quoted confess themselves to have had at command. 



Like Dr. Lindley, and the author of the ' Observations,' our ac- 

 quaintance with botany commenced under Linnaean auspices. Un- 

 like the former, we had no " plenty of books compiled according to 

 that system to consult;" and unlike Dr. Drummond, wo liad not even 

 the advantage of a friend to point out " the parts of fructification in 



