1858.] REVIEW. 81 



" The Aloe, Dracana, etc., have wood like what is produced by 

 dicotyledons. The leaves of the Dioscoreacece and Menispermea 

 are so much alike that they might be presumed to be all of the 

 same class. Many floAvers of the dicotyledons are trimerous ; 

 some of the monocotyledons dimerous and tetramerous, and some 

 are even formed on the pentamerous type. ^' Nonne id vitiose 

 statuitur?^^ he asks, if, following Jussieu, we say, — 



Graminea and Liliacete are monocotyledons ; but 



All Gramine(R and Liliacea have their vascular tissues scat- 

 tered [sparsos vasorum fasciculos) ; 



Therefore all monocotyledons have their vascular tissues scat- 

 tered. 



Is it not an erroneous inference if we infer that 



Since the leaves of Graminece are linear, 



But all Grammes bear imperfect flowers, 



Therefore plants which have linear leaves have imperfect 

 flowers ? 



This is what logicians call a syllogism. Our readers may judge 

 for themselves if the propositions be fair, and if the predicate be 

 distributed or non-distributed. 



" If these two systems are well considered, viz. that one which 

 is called Natural and those called Artificial, it will be seen that 

 certain groups, viz. species, genera, and orders, are formed on a 

 natural method ; and it is not denied that species and genera, in 

 artificial systems, are founded on natural characters ; also that 

 all higher groups than Orders, viz. alliances, sections, classes, 

 etc., are artificial ; it appears as incongruous to unite these, and 

 call the whole a Natural System, as it would be ' humano capiti 

 cervicem pictor equinam jungere si velit.'" This is Professor 

 Agardh's opinion. 



This chapter ends with the following reflection, which is better 

 stated in the original than in any form we are able to invest it 

 with. " Du8e vise sunt atque esse possunt ad inquirendam et in- 

 veniendam verifcatem. Altera a sensu et particularibus advolat 

 ad axiomata maxime generalia, atque ex iis principiis eorumque 

 im.mota veritate judicat et invenit axiomata media; atque hac 

 via est in usu" (this is the usual way). "Altera {via) a sensu 

 et particularibus excitat axiomata, asceudendo continenter et gra- 

 datim, ut ultimo loco perveniatur ad maxime generalia : qua via 

 vera est, sed intenta" (this is the true way, but it is not usual), 



N. S. VOL. III. M 



