42 INTRODUCTION. 
insufficient to justify a severance into two species, and will prefer 
to place one as a variety of the other plant. 
On the other hand, the “ splitters” will too often ‘* make 
species ” resting on differences of a very slight kind or degree, if 
they expect or hope to find them constant,— rather, that nobody 
else will find them inconstant. Usually, all they look for is some 
difference which can be expressed in technical language, or shown 
in portrait drawings ; while they leave to others the far less facile 
task of trying whether the difference is constant or inconstant, of 
proving that the characters of the two alleged species are con- 
vertible, if such be the case. This latter task and proof, though 
perhaps easy and rapid in some few instances, will more commonly 
require experiments or observations carefully carried on during a 
succession of years. However injudicious or precipitate he may 
be, the “ species-maker” has thus the chances largely in his favour 
for maintaining the species, truly or falsely so called; although it 
may be much doubted by other botanists, it cannot be denied on 
proof,—at any rate, not for some considerable time after its first 
penni-facture. The proper category or position of a ‘‘ new species” 
so made, is eventually decided on the balance of conflicting 
opinions, which may be long in suspense before inclining either 
way so far as to become a quasi-unanimity. And even if thus 
virtually decided at one time or by one generation, the question 
whether a given plant is a species or variety may be re-opened at 
any after time. In the Floras of our own small and much 
examined island, there are probably more proposed and disputed 
species at the present time, than was the case half a century ago. 
Aud certainly there never was a time when so wide a species- 
discrepancy could be found between two standard Floras, as is now 
seen between ‘ Babington’s Manual of British Botany’ and ‘ Ben- 
tham’s Handbook of the British Flora.’ 
Thus, it must certainly be admitted, Botanists have truly no 
clear and available line of severance between species and varieties. 
Most of them still believe, or act as believing, that species are 
absolute and permanent realities in nature; while they deem 
varieties fluctuating and temporary, always liable or tending to 
