236 Observations on Humboldt's Works 



Two papers upon the subject are, indeed, to be found in the 

 Ajncenitates AcadeiniccBy entitled Stationes Plantar um and Colonio 

 Plantarwn. These may, perhaps, be attributed to Linnseus him- 

 self. They are merely slight sketches, which were never filled 

 up. The inquiry appears to have slept afterwards, and it is 

 only very lately that it has been revived by Humboldt, Brown, 

 Wahlenberg, Stromeyer, Ramond, Decandolle, Engelhardt and 

 P arot, ^c. ^c. The principal writer, however, upon this subject, 

 is M. Humboldt, the celebrated traveller. The varied and ex- 

 tensive information of this philosopher is well known, and justly 

 appreciated ; but the extreme vivacity and brilliancy of his ima- 

 gination, and the propensity to generalize, which he manifests 

 upon all occasions, are too conspicuous, not to excite our doubts 

 respecting the accuracy of some of his conclusions. How far 

 we are justified in this, the following critical and illustrative re- 

 marks will shew. 



I am, Sir, yours, ^-c. ^c, 



J. F. D. 



Observations upon two Works of A. de Humboldt, concerning the 

 Geography of Plants. In a Letter to A. H. Schrader. 



At a period, when particular observations upon the distribu- 

 tion of plants have become so abundant, that the geography of 

 plants, from an insignificant number of scattered remarks, has 

 raised itself to an independent science, every new contribution 

 certainly merits the greatest attention. Permit me, therefore, to 

 communicate to you a few remarks upon two treatises which 

 have lately appeared upon this subject, by M. de Humboldt. 

 Should the interesting nature of the subject, and the desire which 

 I have frankly to lay before you my opinion thereon, give too 

 great an extent to this letter, I earnestly crave your indulgence. 



The treatises alluded to are the following : 



1. Alexander de Humboldt de distributione geographicd Plan- 

 tarum secundum cceli temperiem et altitudinem montium. As 

 the Prolegomena to the work : Nova genera et species plan- 

 tarum quas in peregrinatione collegerunt, descripsenmt et par- 

 tim adumbraverunt Bonpland et Humboldt; e schedis Bonplandi 

 in ordinem digessit Kunth. Tomus 1. Lutetice, 1815. 



