SYSTEMS OF CLASSIFICATION. 73 



SECTION I. 



SYSTEMS OF CLASSIFICATION. 



In a general way it may be stated that one of the 

 ultimate aims of science is to classify. It must not be 

 supposed, however, that the mere naming and arrang- 

 ing of things is in itoelf the object in view. It is sim- 

 ply the means to an end ; classification simplifies the 

 work for those who follow : it, so to speak, represents 

 the status of the science under consideration. 



One of the most common errors that amateur scien- 

 tists fall into is to suppose that a given system, we will 

 say of a group of plants, is something fixed and abso-^ 

 lutely reliable. This is by no meaiis the case; every 

 system, no matter how elaborate it may seem or by 

 whom it may be proposed, is imperfect and subject to 

 change as new discoveries are made. This, however, 

 does not imply that the existing systems are useless. 

 They are of inestimable value in so far as they repre- 

 sent the most reliable facts obtained in regard to the 

 science under consideration. As soon as a system fails 

 to be in harmony with the most advanced and reliable 

 investigations it will of necessity make way for a bet- 

 ter system. 



Two kinds of systems are usually recognized : one is 

 known as the " artificial system," the other as the 

 " natural system." In the former no attempt is made 



