4 PREFACE. 



botanist Dr. Kellogg, Kev. E. L. Greene, Mrs. 

 Curran, and other members of the Academy, to all 

 of whom I hereby present my best thanks. 



A new system of classification appeared desira- 

 ble for many reasons. In this I do not claim the 

 merit of originality ; the idea has been developed 

 to a greater or less extent in the writings of End- 

 licher, Griesebach, Baron von Mueller, A. Braun, 

 and Hanstein. 



The system of De Candolle, still preferred, has 

 many serious disadvantages. Its logic is at pres- 

 ent nearly as much at variance with the leading 

 idea of modern classification, as that of the Linnean 

 system. It is true it is less artificial than that, but 

 it is also more complicated and arbitrary, and less 

 perspicuous, and lacks the stern, persistent princi- 

 ple which so well adapts the Linnean system for 

 use as a key. 



There will perhaps be a time when the demon- 

 stration of evolutionary affinities will form the 

 grammar of botany ; and old Linne will come into 

 service again, as a lexicon is used in the study of 

 languages. 



