80 The Natural System of Botany. 



with the embryo, and others which have a portion of albumen. 

 There are some other characters used by botanists for distin. 

 guushing natural orders, but it is hardly necessary to mention 

 them here, as they will be incidentally used as we proceed 

 and as those already enumerated are of the greatest importance. 

 We have also anticipated in some measure, as was unavoida- 

 ble in pointing out characters dependent on the structure of 

 the ovary and seed, a future article on Physiology, in which 

 this structure will be fully explained, with the aid of proper 

 engravings, and which can be consulted for any thing which 

 is not already understood. 



We apprehend that the student who has read the foregoing 

 remarks, is not a little perplexed on account of the constant 

 uncertainty which has been asserted to attend the value of the 

 characters. He will find, however, that this uncertainty i s 

 greater in appearance than in reality, and experience will 

 show him nearly the precise estimate which he can place 

 upon each mark of distinction. He will learn that though a 

 single character is seldom to be relied on, yet that a combination 

 of characters, peculiar to an order, may be ascertained with 

 less difficulty than he may perhaps now imagine. The power 

 of judging of these more or less intricate combinations, to use 

 the words of Professor Lindley, " is the same test of a skilful 

 botanist, as an appreciation of symptoms is that of a physi- 

 cian." 



In our next article we shall be prepared to present the tabu- 

 lar view of the natural divisions, and to describe one of the 

 orders. 



