Linnccan and Natural Systems. 57 



The termination in the aceae is now generally applied to the 

 Orders, for the sake of ensuring uniformity, even where some 

 degree of awkwardness attends its application. 



The 11th, 18th and 23d classes of Linnaeus have been rejected 

 by many Botanists of high reputation, and the plants distributed 

 by them among others ; Monogamia, the 6th Order of the Class 

 Syngenesia, and those Orders of course belonging to the re- 

 jected Classes, have shared the same fate. 



The Artificial System should never be neglected by any one 

 who wishes to understand Botany, for on a good knowledge of 

 it depends, in a great measure, the progress made even in the 

 Natural System. The knowledge of the greatest number of 

 species, in the opinion of Linnaeus, constituted the best botanist ; 

 it is obvious that such information would soon enable any one, 

 without hesitation, to give a correct judgment on the relative 

 merits of the various plans presented for his consideration. This 

 department has been justly termed the artis robur, the strength 

 or sinews of the science. As Sir James Edward Smith ob- 

 serves, " Species are the only distinctions, perhaps, that are indu- 

 bitably natural f and to stamp them clearly, as well as concisely, 

 is the most important, certainly the most difficult office of the Phi- 

 losophical Botanist. The name should be eilher a characteristic 

 adjective, expressive of the character, aspect, color, quality and 

 use of the species, or a substantive, not necessarily agreeing with 

 the generic name, by which some circumstance in the history 

 of the plant, or some synonym, may be recorded. 



SONGS OF THE LINN JEAN TRIBES. 



We were very much pleased with a little work for the Botani- 

 cal student, published in England. The great charm of the 

 book resides in its songs, which we give, confident that, although 

 the style is so very simple and familiar, a better knowledge of 

 the names and habits of plants, and their relations to each other, 

 will be obtained from them than could possibly be attained in 

 any other way. Each tribe comes before its type or chief, and 

 sings its gathering song. 



We would advise all, both young and old, to commit these 

 verses to memory, by doing which they will plant seed that will 

 sooner or later produce a good crop of botanical knowledge. In 



