ON PAPYRUS, BONAFAKTEA, ETC. 369 



gularity of the forms, the perfection of the analyses, and excellence of 

 the descriptive matter, which chiefly distinguish the book. The plan 

 was analogous to that of Humboldt's ' Nova Genera,* edited by Kunth, 

 M. de Martius possessing an advantage over the latter able botanist in 

 being the owner of the very plants which he describes, and in having 

 a large number of good specimens at his command. The analyses, 

 which were executed at Munich, by Minsinger and Prestele, are supe- 

 rior to those of Turpin, in being more highly magnified and the details 

 completer, including the embryo and the pollen-grains. Doubtless 

 Kunth and Turpin were the great analysts of their day, but Turpin 

 began to be excelled by other artists, none of whom however equalled 

 for perfection the two Brothers Bauer. 



The volume, which appeared between 1828 and 1834, on the Cryp- 

 togamic Plants of Brazil, displayed still more forcibly the talent of the 

 IMunich artists. The Ferns, described by M. de Martius, are preceded 

 by an admirable dissertation on the anatomy of the stems of the Tree- 

 Ferus, whose structure was then hardly known, by M. de Mohl, whose 

 eight plates are excellently done; indeed the delineations and descrip- 

 tions are good throughout the volume. 



(75? be continued^ 



/ 



furnish 



[The Chevalier Claussen has published the following interesting no- 

 tices relating to these plants.] 



The paper-makers are in want of a material to replace rags in the 

 manufacture of paper ; and as I have paid attention to the subject, I 

 proceed to communicate the result, First, however, I ^viU explain what 

 is required ; viz. a cheap material, with a strong fibre, easily bleached, 

 and procurable in an unlimited quantity. I shall now enumerate a 

 few of the substances which T have examined in my researches for a 



proper substitute for rags. 



Rags, containing about 50 per cent, of vegetable fibre, mixed with 

 wool or silk, are considered useless by the paper-makers, and are yearly 

 burnt, to the amount of several thousand tons, in manufacturing prus- 

 aiat'e of potash. By the simple process of boiling thes** mgs in caustic 



VOL. VIU. 



3 B 



