290 LINN^US. 



of these gradations actually exist. Individuals alone 

 form the subjects of observation ; but a number of 

 individuals closely resembling each other are con- 

 sidered in the mind as forming a species ; and seve- 

 ral species agreeing in certain respects with each 

 other form a genus ; while genera united by parti- 

 cular characters compose an order ; and the orders 

 constitute a class. Thus all the individual birds 

 called goldfinches form the species Goldfinch, which 

 with the species Chaffinch and others constitute the 

 genus Finch, This genus^ and those known by 

 the names of Grossbeak, Bunting, Lark, &c. con- 

 stitute the order Passerine Birds. Natural objects 

 may thus be arranged in a definite series, so that 

 the place of any given species may be determined ; 

 hence, if the student should be desirous of finding 

 the name and history of a particular object, he can 

 readily discover it, or he can satisfy himself that it 

 has not yet been described. At the same time, it 

 must be remembered, that the classification in ques- 

 tion is entirely artificial, and does not necessarily 

 place together genera that are the most closely allied. 

 It is a kind of systematic index to the works of na- 

 ture, and is useful in many respects, although it 

 may not lead to the disclosure of all the peculiarities 

 or all the affinities and relations of the object to be 

 examined. The Linnsean arrangement of animals 

 cannot be considered in any other light ; for, if we 

 view it as a natural classification, we meet with 

 false positions and erroneous views at almost every 

 step. His disciples mistook it for a perfect system, 

 and viewed the various species with reference to 

 it, rather than with respect to their mutual rela- 

 tions. Still, they who look upon the artificial clas- 



