172 CLASSIFICATION. 



make a kind of arrangement of plants in their own minds, 

 although they would find it very difficult to convey their ideas 

 of classification to others. 



It is by their natural characters, that persons who have 

 never, perhaps, heard of such a science as zoology or the clas- 

 sification of animals, are enabled to distinguish ferocious beasts 

 from domestic and gentle animals ; they see a sheep or cow 

 without any terror, although that individual one they may 

 never have seen before ; for nature teaches them to consider 

 that, as resembling other sheep and cows, which they know to 

 be inoffensive. 



This natural character teaches savages to distinguish among 

 the many plants of the forest, those which may administer to 

 their wants and those which would be injurious. 



Even the lower grades of animals have this faculty of se- 

 lecting by natural characters, nutritious substances, and avoid- 

 ing noxious ones ; thus we see the apparently unconscious 

 brutes luxuriating in the rich pastures prepared for them by a 

 benevolent Creator, and cautiously passing by the poisonous 

 weed, directed by the curious instinct given them by this same 

 Almighty Benefactor. 



LECTURE XXI. 



Characters used in clatsifaation. 



A natural family is composed of several genera of plants 

 which have some common marks of resemblance, and its name 

 is usually founded upon this general character; as Labiate 

 and Cruciform, which are derived from the form of the co- 

 rollas ; Umbellate and Corymbiferous, from the inflorescence ; 

 Leguminous from the nature of the fruit. 



Families resemble artificial orders in being composed of 

 genera, but the principles on which the genera are brought 

 together, differ widely in the two cases. 



In natural families, the classification is such as persons who 

 have never studied botany, might make ; thus, dill, fennel, 

 caraway, &c. belong to the Umbellate family, on account of 

 the form in which the little stalks, bearing the flower, and 

 afterwards the seed, branch out from one common centre, like 

 the sticks of an umbrella ; this general resemblance is observ- 

 ed by all, and it seems very natyral to class such plants to- 

 gether. 



Animals capable of discerning these natural characters Families of plants 

 In what respect do families resemble artificial orders ? How do they differ ? 

 Persons might form natural families without a knowledge of botany > 



