BOTANY. 93 



certain fundamental divisions. The first of these divisions is 

 into CLASSES, the second divides classes into ORDERS, the 

 third divides orders into GENERA, the fourth divides genera 

 into SPECIES, and these are again divided into varieties. 



The number now known on the whole earth, is between 

 80,000 and 100,000 distinct species of plants. The classifica- 

 tion of plants, and all other natural objects, is founded on the 

 resemblance and differences, in some one or more points, of the 

 individuals of each class, order, <fec. 



A CLASS, in natural history, comprises an assemblage of 

 objects or individuals, having one or more common charac- 

 teristics. Thus the whale, the hog and the cow all belong to 

 the class mammalia, because they all have red blood, breathe 

 by means of lungs, and nourish their young by means of milk : 

 the whitewood, rose and locust all belong to the division phe- 

 nogainia and class angeiosperma, because they all produce 

 flowers and woody stems, and bear fruit in capsular vessels. 



An ORDER is a subdivision of a class, and divides objects 

 into groups, which are distinguished by more minute and 

 peculiar points of resemblance than those on which a class is 

 based, but still possessing all the peculiar characteristics of 

 that class. The lion, tiger, dog and cat, all belong to the class 

 mammalia and order carnivora, because they live, in their 

 native state, on flesh: the water-cress, turnip and mustard all 

 belong to the order cruel/era, because they all produce flowers 

 having four petals, arranged in the form of a cross. 



" A GENUS is an assemblage of species with more points of 

 agreement than difference, and more closely resembling each 

 other than they resemble any species of other groups." This 

 is a subdivision of an order. The dog, wolf, lion and cat, all 

 belong to the same order, but, on account of certain dif- 

 ferences, the lion and cat belong to one genus, and the dog 

 and wolf to another: the apple, cherry, rose and almond, all 



