1859.] REVIEW. 89 



3. Plantce anthogamce, or Hepaticcs and Musci. 



3. Plantee thaUogamae, the higher orders of Cryptogams. He 

 considers Ophioglossea as being of the lowest type_, — infimum 

 evolutionis graclum, — and Marsileacece as the highest. 



The Phanerogams follow this higher type. Then follow Series 

 Naturales Familiarum Phanerogamm'um, but we cannot afford so 

 much space as would admit of giving even a list of the Orders. 

 This unusually long notice must be terminated with a few re- 

 marks on the subject. 



The author^ in his preface^ very modestly admits that a work 

 of this extensive character requires more scientific assistance 

 {adjumenta) , than he was able to command, and also a greater 

 knowledge of the forms of the vegetable kingdom than he pos- 

 sesses [qvam quantum ego complexus shn). He further ex- 

 presses his hope that his attempt, such as it is, will excite 

 others to more successful endeavours [ad meliora efficienda). 

 "While/^ as he says, "he does not expect that his work will 

 obtain universal currency, as the exponent of botanical arrange- 

 ment, he is thoroughly convinced that systematists or taxonourists 

 have mistaken the right way of classification ; he hopes that he 

 has proved that if the way pointed out by him is not the right 

 way, that at least there is another way to be discovered." 



With the author, we earnestly hope and desire that his labours 

 may be promotive of genuine science. How many systems have 

 we seen, even in England, since the Linneean arrangement, as 

 the learned professor of University College informs us, became 

 a matter of history ! The latter-mentioned eminent metho- 

 dologist has himself inaugurated more than one scheme of ar- 

 rangement. We have had systems by Decandolle, by Bartling, 

 by Endlicher, by Fries, etc. All have had their followers, their 

 defenders and admirers. The upshot of the whole appears to 

 be, that system is deemed an immaterial element in the study 

 of plants, and, consequently, that one system is just as good as 

 another. This is only the implied opinion of the Avriter, who 

 judges merely from the fact that as systems are now as plentiful 

 as mushrooms in September, he infers that the system-makers, 

 like some of the species- makers, throw them away with less re- 

 luctance than they would part with their old shoes. 



This is not Professor Agardh's opinion. He evidently believes 

 that classification is an important affair, and his book, which he 



N. S. VOL. III. N 



