Natural Jlistonj . l%l 



if all the systems of classification were vague, un- 

 satisfactory, and perplexing, the language in use 

 ^among the different instructors in this science was 

 ,at least equally so. Almost every })art of the dif- 

 ferent nomenclatures, at this time, was loaded with 

 uncouth, erroneous, or supernumerary words, and 

 even barbarous sentences of description, which 

 exceedingly increased the difficulties of the learner. 

 Besides, numerous voyagers and travellers were 

 jiow constantly enriching botany with new trea- 

 sures, brought from every quarter of the earth; 

 and wdiile the names of those before known al- 

 ready loaded the memory, it became necessary to 

 provide new ones, for the successive discoveries 

 which were daily demanding attention. In a 

 word, so great was the number of new species 

 presenting themselves from every direction, and 

 such the perplexity arising from defective arrange- 

 ment, that botany became in danger of relapsing 

 again into anarchy and total disorder."" 



In this stage of the science Linnaeus appeared. 

 Endued with genius and learning; having a taste 

 for researches in natural history rising to a sublime 

 enthusiasm ; and a disposition for persevering inr 

 dustry, he cultivated, with particular diligence, the 

 science of botany. In 1735 he published a new 

 system, as the result of his labours, which pro- 

 duced a memorable cera in this branch of philo- 

 sophy. This is usually called the Sexual System^ 

 from its foundation being laid in the doctrine, that 

 plants are male and female, and propagate their 

 species in a manner somewhat analagous to ani- 

 mals. Ltnnjeus divided the whole vegetable 

 Jcingdom into twenty-four classes; the distinguish- 

 ing characters of which he founded on the number^ 

 the place of insertion, the proportion, the connec- 

 ts See Traits en Natural History ^ by James E. Smith, M. D. F.R.. i,, 



