18 INTRODUCTION. 



generic, and may after centuries form New 

 Genera. 



Hybridity also multiplies species : this pro- 

 cess is much more common in plants than ani- 

 mals ; but it is often difficult to detect in the 

 wild plants the real parents. Unless they are 

 both found growing near the hybrid, and it has 

 the traces of both forms, we may as safely 

 ascribe it to a natural deviation of frame, call- 

 ed Peloric if floral and generic, 



Some Botanists have different ideas of Ge- 

 nera, species, and varieties : their errors and 

 my corrections will be found in the principles 

 of my FLORA TELLURIANA. I merely recapitu- 

 late here my ideas of them, deduced from 40 

 years of botanical observations. 



SPECIES include all the individuals perfectly 

 alike in all their parts Varieties are slight ca- 

 sual deviations Proles are permanent varie- 

 ties, such as are called Breeds among ani- 

 mals. 



GENERA are the groups of species that have 

 similar floral characters and sometimes a simi- 

 lar habit. Whenever a species has different 

 floral forms it must be a peculiar genus. 



Such are the natural distinctions of those 

 two groups, any others must be unnatural and 

 improper ! All species may have been varie- 

 ties once, except the original types or ancestors 

 of the genus, and all actual varieties may be 

 incipient species. 



My views of the natural method will be gi- 

 ven in my FLORA TELLURIANA, where I shall 

 correct and improve my former classes, orders 

 and families of 1815 in Analysis of Nature. 

 I hare adopted and studied the natural method 

 since 1800, 1 have always tried to improve it, 



