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Reflections on these Systems. 
Now, here is the remarkable case of three men, who have made the 
study and classification of ferns the leading object of their lives, who 
have given these plants in a living state their most attentive considers 
ation, independently arriving at the conclusion that the parts of fruc- 
tification did not afford characters whereby to divide ferns into pri- 
mary and secondary groups, and substituting characters derived 
either from the mode of growth or the distribution of the veins. This 
concord cannot, surely, arise from any other cause than the fallacy of 
theory which they agree to ignore; siill if is not a little remarkable 
that ail three have relapsed into the beaten track, and in their defini- 
tions have mainly depended on the mode of fructification for their 
characters. Presl has no deviation from the ordinary method, except 
that in his genera the veims are fully and admirably characterised ; 
Gaudichaud relapsed quite into the old formula, although his primary 
definitions are so atrikingly attraciive and so apparently incontrover- 
tible; and Mr. Smith alone remains of the three as having given any 
extended application to a character which he has defined in 20 mas- 
terly a manner. But even Mr. Smith’s extension of the theory is 
insufficient: while he acknowledges the importance of considering the 
mode of growth, he confines the application of that character to the 
genus Polypodium, or to those ferns which, to use his own ex- 
pression, “have punctiform naked sori seated on free veins.” I agree, 
then, rather with Gaudichaud in making the application of the cha- 
racter universal, than with Mr. Smith, who appears to restrict its ap- 
plication to a group which has no existence in nature, and of which 
the very definition is sufficient to show that it is a mee artificial 
assemblage. I would also observe that I scarcely understand ihe 
rank which Mr. Smith would assign to his groups Gieicheniacez and 
Schizeacee, which are typographically so arranged as io constitute 
integral portions of the Cyathex, a station for them which I am per- 
suaded is diametrically at variance with nature. But whether 
Mr. Smith intended this, or would constitute them primary groups 
equivalent to those seven which he has called tribes, is of little mo- 
ment: both modeg of disposing of them appear equally objectionable. 
_ Having thus stated, and I trust in a fair and candid manner, the 
views and labours of others in this interesting field of inquiry, I will 
