getMethod() works and works not

Hi all,

can anybody explain why the getMethod() call (in the line commented with
"???" below) throws a NoSuchMethodException?

Perhaps I'm doing something obvious wrong, but I couldn't find any hint.

################################################################
import javax.swing.*;
import java.lang.reflect.*;

public class F {
   public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
      JFrame frame = new JFrame("Title");
      JPanel panel = (JPanel)frame.getContentPane();
      JTextArea area = new JTextArea(10, 40);
      Method method;

      frame.setSize(300, 200);
      frame.setLocation(200, 200);

      // This works ('add' JTextArea to JPanel):
      panel.add(area);

      // This, however, does not work (same 'add' JTextArea to JPanel):
      // ??? method = panel.getClass().getMethod("add", area.getClass());

      // This again works:
      method = panel.getClass().getMethod("setName", "newName".getClass());

      frame.setVisible(true);
   }
}
################################################################

The direct call

      panel.add(area);

works, but the corresponding getMethod()

      method = panel.getClass().getMethod("add", area.getClass());

throws

   NoSuchMethodException: javax.swing.JPanel.add(javax.swing.JTextArea)

getMethod() on another method like "setName" with a string type works.

Both methods - add() and setName() - should be inherited from the
superclasses of JPanel. They are 'public' in Container and/or Component.

What is the difference, or what am I doing wrong?

Cheers,
- Alex
--
   Software Lab. Alexander Burger
   Bahnhofstr. 24a, D-86462 Langweid
   abu@software-lab.de, www.software-lab.de, +49 8230 5060