CHAPTER III 



Systematic Arrangement of Plant 

 and Animal Forms 



VII. Introductory. 



Plants and animals are grouped according to their 

 resemblances and affinities into: (i) Kingdom, (2) 

 subkingdom, (3) series, (4) classes, (5) subclasses, (6) 

 orders, (7) suborders, or families, (8) genera, (9) spe- 

 cies, and ( i o) varieties. 



The name of the genus and the species taken to- 

 gether constitute the scientific name of the plant or 

 the animal; as, Caltha palustris (marsh-marigold) 

 or Canis familiaris (the dog). In the case of the plant, 

 Caltha is the genus and palustris is. the species. So 

 in the case of the dog, Canis is the genus, familiaris 

 the species. 



Notice that the genus is written first and begins 

 with a capital initial, while the species occupies second 

 place and is written with a small initial. When the 

 species is named after the discoverer or some other 

 person, as is frequently the case, the species is written 

 with a capital letter. 



Comparing these scientific names with that of a 

 man, as, for instance, John Smith, you will notice 

 that they would be similar if the man's name were 

 written Smith John, as is sometimes convenient to do. 



But little attention if any need be given in nature 

 study to the determination of species. That is a 



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