fusion and disagreenioDt in i)assiiig IVom one country to anotlier. 

 Linnivus introduced and insisted on the use of tlic Latin lan- 

 guage, it being simple, com])rehensiv<?, and familiar to tlio 

 learned in every part of the world. The choice was a good 

 one. I am often asked why naturalists do not use plain 

 Englisli — for instance, in naming sjiecies. I can better answer 

 by a simple illui-tration. Suppose we take our common river 

 clams and our land snails. The Latin words Unio and Helix 

 designate these families. l>ut it is not to be presumed that 

 all clams and all snails are alike in their characters, habits, or 

 conditions, any more than tliat all men are alike; or tliat the 

 families of Bogs, Cats, &c., are alike. And also in ]5otany. 

 We thus have many different si^ecies in these Families, eacli 

 species differing from another in some one of its characters, 

 but all perhaps bearing a common family resemblance. Wo 

 indicate these varieties by giving them specific names. So 

 we have, Unio rectus, Unio (jlbbosus, Jldix alternata, Helix- 

 multilineata. These specific names are intended to be appro- 

 priate and applicable; but arc not so always, liowcver. Some 

 are named after individuals or to suit tlie fancy of an author. 

 I do not consider tliis practice commendable, as it only tends 

 to increase the confusion and synonomy of some species. The 

 Linnjcan system of nomenclature was evidently the best that 

 could have been devised. There were also other improve- 

 ments suggested by Linnaeus which it would be interesting to 

 notice had we space. Then Ave might oxainiiu> the .systems of 

 classification proposed by Lamarek, Von liaer, Ehrenbei-g, and 

 Cuvier. We should see liow slowly, stej) by step, the great 

 truths of science have been eliminated and established. Such 

 a work would, however, be irrelevant to the main object of this 

 paper. As I have before said, Linn}i?us opened up a new era 

 in the study of Natural History; taking it up where Aristotle 

 had left it two thousand years ago, he ])ro<ljiced order and 

 beauty where before had reigned (Tisorder and ignorance. The 

 excitement caused in the scientific world by the discoveries of 

 Linnffius, was intense. We can only compare the new revival 

 to that of learning and letters in other eras, or after revolu- 

 tions, when, as has been remarked, the intellectual vigor of 



