SYSTEMS OF BOTANY. 61 



And then the illustrators took the matter up, 

 and in Thornton's New Illustrations of tlie 

 Sexual System of Linnaus, which is perhaps 

 one of the most beautiful botanical works ever 

 published, we have pictures of plants with 

 Cupid aiming a shaft at them, and with a 

 letterpress of love-verses. Into the new system 

 introduced by Jussieu, and now generally 

 adopted for purposes of classification, we need 

 not enter. The Natural system, as it is called, 

 which is certainly the sensible system, has now 

 held its own for many years, though the more 

 artificial system of Linnaeus has still its use and 

 votaries. 



The most recent investigators into botanical 

 science are not classifying plants, but they are 

 examining into the meaning of their structure. 

 The mere task of description and enumeration 

 has been done, and so they have set themselves 

 to find out why certain structures exist, and why 

 certain habits (if we may use the word) have been 

 formed. Why do the climbing plants climb at 

 all ? and why do some twine, and others cling ? 



