30 REMARKS ON THE PRINCIPLES OF 



With respect to families, I cannot but observe how each good order 

 contains five good families, each family, when large enough to be 

 sub-divided, five sub-families with the same representative character^ 

 and it is probable that so far as good divisions can be carried they 

 will maintain the same relations; In this view, as conforming to the 

 law of the number of tendencies, on the expression of which in eaeb 

 sub-division the order of nature depends I presume to think farailiea 

 as necessary to be considered as the larger sections, of which they are 

 component parts. The paragraph respecting the errors of specialists 

 I hold to be sound in principle and deserving of most careful attention^ 

 and with it I reach the termination of the task I had imposed on my- 

 self. In conclusion, let me repeat that I have been induced to submit 

 to examination in a spirit of sincere respect, and high appreciation 

 of its value, the paper of my friend Dr. Dawson, on a subject to which 

 the members of this Institute know that I have for years given much 

 attention and thought, chiefly because there is so much more in which 

 I entirely agree with him than in similar expressions of opinion by 

 other naturalists, which creates a desire of bringing to the test of 

 examination the remaining points of difference, partly also by the 

 circumstance of his essay falling into the hands of many of my pupils 

 and correspondents, so as to create a desire to give my own views the 

 same advantage, and allow of their being fairly compared with those 

 which prevail around us. In the present state of our science, exact 

 agreement of opinion on the more speculative questions which it sug- 

 gests cannot be expected, and I should be among the last to lower my 

 estimate of Dr. Dawson's eminent attainments and useful labours in 

 the field of science because he counts classes a little differently from 

 what I do ; but I think it may promote inquiry, and create some 

 interest, to bring a different practical application of our common 

 principles into fair comparison with that which he has proposed. 



