160 
THE FLORIST’S JOURNAL, 
usually employed. They may be made of zinc, or other ma¬ 
terial of a similar nature, at a very trifling cost. After receiv¬ 
ing two coats of white paint, the colour is laid on which is to 
represent the geographical distribution of the plant. For this 
purpose four colours are used, descriptive of the four quarters 
of the globe yellow representing Europe ; red, Asia ; blue, 
Africa; and green, America: either of these colours being 
spread over the upper, the lower, or the whole of the four 
wings, will denote the northern, southern, or central part of 
either quarter s thus, a plant from the north of Europe would 
require the label to be painted yellow on the upper wings; an¬ 
other from central Asia should have the whole four coloured 
red; while one from South America would require to have the 
lower wings green. We might multiply examples, but we 
think these sufficient. The size and stations of the four wings 
are easily determined by their outline, and they are divided 
through the centre of the label by the pale brown body of the 
insect. Thus the native country of the plant is seen at a 
glance; and, the name being written across the upper, and the 
date of introduction on the lower wings, the label is complete 
for common purposes; but they go still further, expressing by 
dots, varied over the several parts of the label, the botanical 
arrangement; in those of which we speak the Linnsean system is 
followed. Here we think an improvement may be effected, by 
adapting them to the natural system, which may be done 
without much trouble ; though any arbitrary method of express¬ 
ing so many divisions and subdivisions will naturally present 
difficulties of some magnitude, yet with a proper key they may 
be surmounted. We have not yet commenced this adaptation, 
and therefore proceed to explain them as they are. 
The system of Linnaeus, it is well known, consists of twenty- 
four classes, with their respective orders; the first thirteen of 
these, and the corresponding orders, are made known on the 
labels by spots only; for instance, the first class, Monandria , 
is shown by one spot on the upper part of the body, and its first 
order Monogynia by one on the lower wings ; the second order 
of the same class having two spots, one on each lower wing. 
The second class, Diandrici, is known by two spots, one on each 
upper wing; and its first, second, or third orders by as many 
spots on the lower wings, the classes being expressed on the 
upper part of the label, by spots corresponding in number to 
