and order Triandria Monogynia, their stamens, at- 
tached to the style, would indicate their connexion 
with Monadelphia Triandria. Dr. Lindley in the 
Botanical Register, p. 1283, remarks somewhat 
forceably on this circumstance; he says “We have 
here a new instance of what is called the certainty 
and precision of the Linnean system of Botany, 
Sisyrinchium appears to us to belong to Monadel- 
phia Triandria, and it is so stationed by some Lin- 
nean Botanists; yet others of great authority place 
it in Triandria Monogynia. We will not pretend 
to decide between these conflicting opinions; but 
we really wonder that gentlemen should be still 
found, with this and hundreds of similar cases 
staring them in the face, to talk gravely of the pe- 
culiar precision and certainty of the sexual system.” 
These discrepancies only show us, as we have before 
said, that nature cannot be fettered by human sys- 
tems; we should, however, the more assiduously en- 
deavour to discover her own. It is not surprising that 
persons who have adopted the Linnean system, and 
experienced the facility of its application in a sphere 
of investigation not very extensive, should be at- 
tached to its principles. We could not indeed wish 
that it were otherwise, since the sincerity of friend- 
ship would seem to be based on the same foundation. 
Some individuals have, in the warmth of their 
attachment to this arrangement, claimed for it some 
merits to which perhaps it never has been entitled ; 
whilst on the other hand they have underrated the 
Natural method as it is called, without giving it 
the consideration which is requisite to qualify them 
to decide upon their relative value. 
Bot. Reg. 1364. 
