BOTANY 



ON THE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE VITAL FUNCTIONS OP THE 

 ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE KINGDOMS. 



THE Journal of the Chemical Society, of London, contains a 

 detailed account of some investigations by Robert Warington, Esq., 

 which illustrate in a marked degree, that beautiful and -wonderful pro- 

 vision which we see displayed throughout the animal and vegetable 

 kingdoms, whereby their continued existence and stability are so admir- 

 ably sustained, and by which they are made mutually to subserve, each 

 for the other's nutriment, and even for its indispensible wants and 

 vital existence. The experiments have reference to the healthy life 

 of fish preserved in a limited and confined portion of water, and were 

 continued for nearly twelve months. Two gold fishes were placed in 

 a large glass receiver, about half filled with ordinary spring water and. 

 supplied at the bottom with sand and mud, together witli some loose 

 stones, so arranged that the fish could get below them if they wished. 

 At the same time that the fish were placed in this miniature pond, a 

 small plant, vallis neria spiralis, was introduced, its roots being inserted 

 in the mud and sand, and covered by one of the loose stones, so as to 

 retain the plant in its position. The vallis neria is a delicate aquatic 

 plant, which throws out an abundance of long, wiry, strap-like leaves, 

 about a quarter of an inch in breadth, and from one to three feet in 

 length ; these, when the sun shines on them, evolve a continued stream 

 of oxygen gas, which rises in a current of minute bubbles, particularly 

 from any part of the leaf which may have received an injury. The 

 materials being thus arranged, all appeared to go on -well for a time, 

 until circumstances occurred which showed that another very material 

 agent was wanting to perfect the adjustment. The circumstances 

 alluded to arose from the internal decay of the leaves of the vallis neria, 

 which became yellow from having lost their vitality, and began to 

 decompose ; this rendered the waters turbid, and caused a o-rowth of 

 green, slimy matter, on the surface of the water, and on tlie sides of 

 the receiver. To remove this decaying matter, recourse was had to 



