Mr. Bicheno's Paper on Systems and Methods. 409 



the strength of having described three species of Orchis, and perhaps 

 twice as many Rushes, to dismiss all Entomologists subsequent to Lin- 

 naeus with the compliment of being a- pack of fools. 



It is to be regretted, that so oracular an authority on Systems and 

 Methods should not have shewn wherein they differ from each other. It 

 only remains for me, therefore, in the investigation of your " first prin- 

 " ciples of arrangement," to ascertain what distinction you, who are so 

 apt to charge dissenters from your maxims with the height of folly, make 

 between artificial systems and the natural one. It would be curious, if 

 he who blames others " for not fully appreciating the difficulty of this 

 "subject," should happen to have promulgated his principles before he 

 had made himself acquainted with the above distinction. 



You say " division and separation is the end of the artificial system," 

 and as I know not what particular artificial system you allude to, far be 

 it from me to say that you may not possibly be in the right. But then 

 you proceed as follows : — " To establish agreements is the end of the 

 " natural system." Now that you who kindly offer to " prevent young 

 " Naturalists from being prematurely embarrassed in this difficult sub- 

 " ject," should thus express yourself, surprizes me not a little ; for I 

 had always understood that so far from the natural system having for its 

 object to establish agreements, its agreements have remained established 

 from the time of the creation. I will not suppose that a writer " on 

 " systems and methods" could have forgotten to make himself master of 

 the very keystone of his subject, and that he can still rem.ain ignorant of 

 the natural system itself being the end or object at which we aim, and 

 not an instrument like any artificial system to arrive at an end. It is no 

 doubt for the purpose of displaying your powers of abstract reasoning 

 that you advance such positions as the above, or that you state that the 

 artificial system is a descending series, and the natural system an ascend- 

 ing one. Nay, what is more extraordinary than all, you seem in an- 

 other place to imagine that there are more natural systems than one, and 

 that a variety of them have been already attained by the Linnean Society ; 

 for you advise us to " take any natural system and see if this," &c. 

 Pray let me know where I shall find one of them, and I shall be content. 

 It excites your surprize that " many modern Naturalists have not adopted 

 " your truths;" but you ought to have recollected that the many are not 



