LINDLEY'S NATURAL SYSTEM OF BOTANY. 3 



was indeed not absolutely indispensable to the favored few, 

 who, aided by the works of Jussieu, Brown, De Candolle, the 

 elder and younger Richard, etc., were already successfully 

 and honorably pursuing their studies and investigations ; but 

 to the numerous cultivators of botany throughout the countr}^, 

 who could seldom be expected to possess, or have access to, 

 well-furnished libraries, and to whom the writings of these 

 great luminaries of the science were mostly unknown except 

 by name, this publication was a truly welcome acquisition, 

 conferring advantages which those alone who have pursued 

 their studies under such unfavorable circumstances can fully 

 appreciate. 



A second and greatly improved edition of this work having 

 appeared within the past year, it occurred to the writer of 

 these remarks that a cursory notice of it might not be unac- 

 ceptable to the readers of the " American Journal of Science." 

 We do not intend, in these observations, to engage in a de- 

 fence of what is called the Natural System of Botany, but 

 take it for granted that the science can by no other method 

 be successfully and philosophically pursued ; or, to employ 

 the forcible language of Linnaeus, " Methodus naturalis pri- 

 mus et ultimus finis botanices est et erit . . . Primum et 

 ultimum in hoc botanicis desideratum est." The few per- 

 sons who remain at this day unconvinced of its advantages 

 are not likely to be affected by any arguments that we could 

 adduce. A somewhat larger number may perhaps be found 

 in this country who admit the importance and utility of the 

 natural arrangement in the abstract, but decline to avail 

 themselves of the advantages it affords in the study of plants, 

 because, forsooth, it is too much trouble to acquire the en- 

 larged views of vegetable structure which are necessary for 

 the application of its principles. It would almost seem, from 

 the views and practice of such botanists, that they considered 

 it the chief object of a classification to afford the means of 

 ascertaining the name of an unknown plant by the slightest 

 examination of its structure, and with the least possible ex- 

 penditure of thought. 



In the first edition, Dr. Lindley entered into some detailed 



