NOTICES OF BOOKS. 219 



certain form, in a certain count'xy, and at a certain time, we ought to 

 be able, and sometimes are able, to explain the following facts, chiefly 

 by causes that operated previous fo our own epoch : — 1, the very un- 

 equal areas occupied by Natural Orders, Genera, and Species ; 2, the 

 disconnection of the areas that some of the species inhabit ; 3, the 

 distribution of the species of a genus or family iu the area occupied 

 by the genus or family ; 4, the differences between the vegetations of 

 countries that have analogous climates and that are not far apart, and 

 the resemblance between the vegetation of countries that are apart, but 

 between which an interchange of plants is now impossible. 



" The only phenomena explicable by existing circumstances are 

 1, the limitation of species, and consequently of genera and families, in 

 every country where they now appear i 2, the distribution of the spe- 

 cies of an individual in the country it inhabits ; 3, the geographical 

 origin and extension of cultivated species ; 4, the naturalization of spe- 

 cies and opposite phenomenon of their increasing rarity ; 5, the disap- 

 pearance of species contemporaneous with man. 



" In all this we observe proofs of the greater influence of primitive 

 causes, and of those anterior to our epoch; but the growing activity of 

 man is daily eff'acing these, and it is no small advantage of our pro- 

 gressing civiKzation that it enables us to collect a multitude of facts of 

 which our successors will have no visible and tangible proof." 



Appendix. 



This is devoted to an enumeration of the researches necessary to 

 advance the study of Botanical Geography, under the several heads of 

 Physics and Meteorology, Geography, Geology, Physiology of Plants, 

 Descriptive Botany, Botanical Travellers, Botany as applied to Forestry 

 and Antiquarian research, and the Dead Languages. 



{To le continued^ 



TJie Transactions of iJie Jamaica Society of Arts, from December, 

 1854, to December, 1855. Vol.1. 4to. Kingston, Jamaica. 



" The Jamaica Society of Arts took its origin under the government 

 of Sir Charles Grey, and was progressing veiy favourably untd politi- 

 cal events occurred of such a nature as to engross all minds, and super- 

 sede, or render abortive, aiy effort in that direction. Circumstances 



