152 Neilgherry Plants. 



several tribes. We have for example the Lilaceous class, as under- 

 stood by Redoute, including nearly all the gay, flowering, herbaceous 

 forms. The palms. The Retose families of Lindley, representing 

 the Homogens, generally composed of climbing shrubs with homo- 

 genous wood and dicotyledonous foliage, but monocotyledonous seed. 

 The Aroideous families, and lastly, the Glumaceous. How far these 

 five groups are strengthened by variations in the conformation of 

 seed, I am as yet unable to say, not having given that attention to 

 the subject which it requires, but I apprehend, when they also are 

 closely examined, with special reference to this enquiry, that many 

 points in confirmation of their stability will be found, and, with their 

 aid, a series of perfect circles be discovered, presenting striking analo- 

 gies with others referable to the exogenous circle. Until however 

 this is effected, Lindley' s very practical, I think also most natural 

 distribution of these tribes, leaves little to be desired by the practical 

 botanist. 



On the last great division of the vegetable kingdom, the Acrogens, 

 or Cryptogamic plants, I have nothing to add to what I have already 

 said. This group certainly forms the aberrant circle, and like the 

 analogous circles in the animal kingdom, is made up of three smaller 

 ones, each of which seems complete, though all require verification. 



For those wishing to acquire a deeper insight into the science of 

 plants than these pages can possibly supply, I would particularly 

 recommend the study of Dr. Lindley' s Elementary Botanical works, 

 which are by far the best in the English language. His recently 

 published Vegetable Kingdom I have not yet seen, but it is very 

 highly spoken of by two of my Correspondents who have. In its ar- 

 rangement, I learn, he has considerably departed from both those 

 referred to above, as given in his Elements and Natural System, 

 falling back in a great measure on the plan of Jussieu, but greatly 

 improved. To those desirous of becoming acquainted with the first 

 principles, and many of the details of the circular system of classifica- 

 tion, Swainson's volumes of Lardner's Cyclopaedia are the only easily 

 procurable text-books, and are among the most interesting volumes 

 I ever read on Natural History." 



