XXX PRELIMINARY DISCOURSES. 



then perceive organs, or features, which serve as convenient marks 

 of distinction between different objects. Those organs must neces- 

 sarily be designated by some name, or term in order that they 

 may be intelligibly spoken of, or recognized when referred to : 

 and I venture to say, that every one who makes an acquaintance 

 with such objects, so far from finding the names to be burthen- 

 some will feel the absolute necessity of them; and will take a 

 lively interest in their acquisition. We should undoubtedly find it 

 a dull and insipid employment, to take up a City Directory, and 

 commit to memory the names of the Inhabitants : But, if we were 

 to go among them, and form some interesting acquaintances, we 

 should find no difficulty nor should think it any trouble to learn 

 the names of our new friends. Now, the process should be precisely 

 similar, in the study of Nature. We ought never to waste our precious 

 time in learning mere names, apart from objects, nor in attempting 

 to load the memory with such useless lumber. I say attempting ; 

 for it is not possible to fix permanently in the memory, any names 

 which are not associated with something like distinct conceptions of 

 the things to which they are applied. Such abstractions amount 

 to nothing more than an unmeaning jargon ; and therefore speedily 

 vanish from the mind. I repeat it, then, that in the NaturaJ 

 Sciences, the study of names, and things, should always go together. 



DISCOURSE V. 

 Linnaean Classification. Natural System. 



THE Linnaean method of Classification as has been already 

 stated is based chiefly on the stamens and pistils ; and is, con- 

 sequently, attended with this inconvenience, that the class of an 

 unknown plant can only be determined, with certainty, while it is 

 in flower. The flowering season, to be sure, is the most agreeable 

 time to botanize ; but we cannot always procure our specimens in 

 that interesting state, and hence we soon discover the advantage 

 of such a general knowledge of vegetable structure, as is afforded 

 by the study of the natural system. 



LINNAEUS arranged the whole vegetable kingdom in 24 CLASSES, 

 23 of which are appropriated to flowering plants, and are founded 

 on some circumstance of the stamens, the 24th being established 



