The Rev. J. B. Reade on Structure in the Ashes of Pla?its. 1 3 

 axis by x, the following angles will be found very nearly cor- 

 rect : x on P = 38° 24/ 



_ - o = 53 56 



n = 57 45 



n on o =162 53 



H. J. B. 



P.S. In No. 61 of this Journal, p. 278, the inclination of 

 the plane P of Chabasie on the axis is given as 38° 34-' in- 

 stead of 38° 24?', whence the inclination of P on g is 1 1° 36' 

 instead of 1 1 ° 26'. 



The term doubly oblique prism in Prof. Johnston's paper on 

 Baryto-calcite, inserted in Phil. Mag. for May, pp. 373, 374, 

 and 375, should have been oblique rhombic, as correctly given 

 in line 20 from the bottom of page 375. 



III. On the Existence of Structure in the Ashes of Plants 

 and their Analogy to the Osseous System in Animals. By the 

 Rev. J. B. Reade, M./i.* 

 HPHE broad assertion that a plant differs from an animal is 

 -"■ so obviously true, that while points of difference rapidly 

 present themselves, it appears to be a matter of no easy ac- 

 complishment to discover points of resemblance. Man is 

 not more readily distinguished from other animals by his 

 divinely bestowed power of looking before and after, than the 

 generality of animals stand high above all vegetable creation 

 by their powers of voluntary motion and perception. Yet 

 there are links in the great chain of organized bodies so al- 

 most inseparably connected as to compel the naturalist to re- 

 tire from his examination baffled at the question, Is it a plant, 

 or is it an animal ? The mere existence of organization is all 

 that can be detected, and therefore it is impossible to deter- 

 mine with accuracy, whether the growth and structure of the 

 individual have been accomplished by the agency of animal 

 or of vegetable life. But though in some cases the shades 

 of difference between the products of these two great kingdoms 

 of nature so melt into each other as almost to lose their di- 

 stinctness, there are in nearly all cases certain analogies both 

 of parts and functions, and these not fanciful but real, which 

 a close examination may detect. And hence it becomes a 

 task as easy as it is delightful, to trace, in the uniformity of 

 design and the infinite variety of modification in the execu- 

 tion, the hand of the Great Master-builder. 



Functions of circulation and respiration, as well as func- 



* Communicated by the Author. 



