236 REVIEWS. 



exerting to the utmost his own great powers to unite the so-called 

 orders into larger groups, which should be at once natural, because 

 resting on important real characters, and capable of definition. Dif- 

 ferent opinions will be entertained as to the measure of success at- 

 tained by him. Of the value of the plan, we think there ought to 

 be but one opinion, and we see with pleasure that, though differently 

 worked, it is adopted by Mr. Clarke. Many of Lindley's alliances — 

 indeed, a very large proportion of them — seem to us good. In a few 

 instances he appears to us to give undue importance to an unsup- 

 ported technical character ; in others we fancy we see artificial sepa- 

 rations of what a right estimate of nature would combine ; and there 

 are, doubtless, instances of obscure orders placed by a not very happy 

 guess ; but, on the whole, the work deserves the highest admiration ; 

 and if such alliances, carefully reviewed, were combined into classes, 

 we might, at length, boast of possessing a Natural System. 



For assistance, in improving our views, we have to look to such 

 labourers as Mr. Clarke, and we receive his attempt with welcome, 

 and with respectful, and we hope, candid attention. "We only wish 

 we had better means in our power, in our remote position, for testing 

 the accuracy and real value of some of the points which he especially 

 relies upon. "We will, however, offer a few remarks which occur to 

 us, whilst bearing our hnmble testimony to the claim of the author, 

 to have his plans examined with care by those whose thoughts are 

 turned to the interesting subject on which he has bestowed so much 

 industry and ingenuity. 



We cannot help wishing that Mr. Clarke had not ex- 

 pressed himself in a manner implying the truth of the Dar- 

 winian* hypothesis respecting the origin of species, and seeming 

 to make relationship always dependent on a common descent. This 

 hypothesis will, no doubt, for some time be very much regarded by 

 scientific inquirers in all their investigations ; but, however strongly 



• We refer, here, specially to the transmutation and gradual formation of 

 species, by descent from others. Mr. Clarke may not receive Darwin's special 

 views as to the mode in which species arise, but he appears to hold the doctrine 

 of their gradual growth, one out of another ; which, indeed, is by no means 

 peculiar to Darwin, and did not originate with him, but is the foundation of his 

 system, and will be resisted by all those who view Nature as a perfect plan, 

 proceeding from Divine intelligence, which it is the object of our efforts to 

 understand and interpret 



