Neilgherry Plants. 145 



As it is not improbable some of my readers may only know of 

 " Natural Systems" by name, without having any very precise idea of 

 what is meant by the term, I shall here digress a little to endeavour 

 to convey some information regarding what Naturalists understand 

 by it. Imperfect the effort must necessarily be, for, in truth, even 

 the most learned and philosophical among them, seem not to know 

 quite clearly what they are in search of, and of course can scarcely 

 be expected to inform others what they do not well understand them- 

 selves. For example, opinion is divided on the question of the 

 existence or non-existence of a natural system, some maintaining 

 that there really is one of nature's own contrivance, and others, that 

 the so-called " Natural System," is neither more nor less than a 

 human contrivance, by which the most nearly related species are 

 brought together and placed, as much as possible, in juxta position. 

 This last doctrine I for one reject as unphilosophical, and utterly at 

 variance with innumerable facts and indications of wise design and 

 contrivance, which every division of nature presents for our consi- 

 deration and instruction : without, however, going so far as to deny, 

 that those who maintain the doctrine can adduce many strong argu- 

 ments in its support. 



Those who maintain the existence of a natural system, set out by 

 showing the admirable symmetry and just proportion which all Na- 

 ture's works, from the greatest to the least, present and bear to each 

 other : and by tracing the delicate progression from group to group, 

 family to family, and species to species, thence assume that there is 

 not only a natural system, but further, uphold the doctrine that 

 there can be but one, justly observing, that it is impossible to sup- 

 pose that, Almighty Wisdom, if he admitted system at all into 

 his works of creation, would execute them so imperfectly, as to admit 

 irregularities, much less a medley of systems. The object then, of 

 the philosophical naturalist is, they maintain, to approach as nearly 

 as our finite faculties will permit towards the realization of this one 

 grand and sublime idea, the discovery of The Natural System of or- 

 ganized beings. 



Two methods are now in use for the attainment of this end, or 

 rather, limiting the statement to the vegetable kingdom, for the solu- 

 tion of the problem, what is the natural system of plants ? These 

 may be respectively called the Linear and Circular methods. 



The first, it is admitted on all hands, is essentially artificial, and 

 can never succeed in placing the most nearly related objects of croa- 



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