IV. GRADES OF SPECIES. 833 
ought to be applied only, to the first six letters A B C D E F,— 
to any or all of these, but to none others. Another botanist will 
demur to that narrowed application of the name, and will propose 
to limit the meaning and application of the word to A B CD, or 
any of these four, excluding E and F. Yet another will restrict it 
to A B, or either of them. And still another will next confine it 
to A alone, excluding all the rest of the alphabet. Nor does the 
variation or inequality of name always end even here; for other 
botanical species-splitters might subdivide species A, and then 
restrict the name ‘ fruticosus’ to only some special part or fraction 
of A itself, giving new and different names to the other part or 
parts. The name thus means: 
Rubus fruticosus = the whole alphabet, belonging alike to each 
and every letter. 
Rubus fraticosus = A BC D EF, all or any of these six letters. 
Rubus fruticosus = A BC D, all or any of these four only. 
Rubus fruticosus = A B, both or either of these two only. 
Rubus fruticosus = A only, excluding all the other letters. 
Rubus fruticosus = Some special part of A, not the whole. 
A seeming exactness or definiteness was given to species in 
books, by the peculiar nomenclature of Linneus, which is now 
seen to be often far from true in nature. That system of nomen- 
clature (with its false analogy to the surnames and christian-names 
of mankind) has thus proved in some respects a misleading inno- 
vation upon older methods, however great its redeeming practical 
convenience may be in other respects. As the Linnean method of 
nomenclature came into general use, his named species also came 
at first to be considered the true natural or real species, which his 
disciples and immediate successors were unwilling to call in 
question, and were seldom allowed to alter. More gradually, it 
became apparent to careful observers that many of the Linnean 
species were readily divisible ; two or more easily and constantly 
distinguishable forms having been united together by him under a 
single specific name. The process of subdivision or re-division 
then commenced ; done cautiously and sparingly at first, freely 
and numerously of late. 
