LO INTRODUCTION 
Fig. 19. of the Double Cup, in the Scabious, with its Flower. 
Fig. 20. of the Ti/’d Cup, in the Globe Thittle, with its Flower. 
Fig. 21. of the One-/eav'd Cup, in the Birdweed, with its Flower. 
Fig. 22. of the many-leav'd Cup, in the Threadwort, with its Flower. 
Unper one ot other of thefe Orders, may be arranged all the Aggregate Plants s for 
Nature, fo far as yet known, has given no other differences in their particular Cups: yet 
it fhould feem, that between the Plants of the fixth and feventh Order, there will be at 
fome time found whole Genera of intermediate Characters ; for i it is not ufual with Nature 
to leave chafms in her works, or to pafs over great deficiencies in number of the parts. 
We are here, though in an artificial fy{tem, tracing her fteps, fo far as may be in fuch 
fetters, with an awful reverence. 
Wirn refpect to the five firft Orders, their differences arife in a way perfectly natural, 
and the four fucceeding may be deduced plainly from the firft, by a meéafured Scale, in 
the fame method of gradual divifion, by which Plants themielves, in the true fcale of na- 
ture, afcend above one another bya meafured addition of parts. The folded Cup is no 
more than the even one, with an exuberant edge ; the fimple Cup is only the folded one, 
cut down between the Plaits; the double Cup is the fimple one, throwing off its outer 
- Rind toward the bafe, in one feries ; and the til’d Cup 1s only the double one, with Films 
fplit off outward, in feveral {eries. 
Tuus far we fee the courfe of Nature’s Diftinétions evident to reafon.. ‘Between thefe 
five, and the two following, there is the Diftin@tion of a new tribe or family ; though we 
- have not encumbered the Student’s mind with it in this place, becaufe the objects which 
come under it are few. The other Cups are all compofed of Films, but thofe of this and the 
fucceeding Order are of Leaves, That this Tribe fhould begin with a Cup of one Leaf, 
is moft natural ; and it would feem alfo natural that it fhould afcend by two-leav'd, 
three-leav’d, and by four-leav’d Cups, to the Order which ftands next in our account, 
and which has five Leaves: but this is a refearch for farther time: Its place will not 
_ come properly, till we have proceeded to thefe Plants in a natural method. There is 
much of the world yet to be fearched ; and there is much time for it. I have reafons: 
to conjecture that the Plants here fuppofed to exift, may be found far north ; that tract 
of land will be now better fearched, than has been heretofore ; and gratitude demands this 
public teftimony, that it is to the favour of the Hudfon’ S = Company alone, I owe the 
means of this new enquiry. 
HERBS, 
