396 New Publications. 



ample view of the o{)inions entertained in regard to species in 

 the animal kingdom, Mr Lyell concludes, that species have a real 

 existence in nature, and that each was endowed, at the time of 

 the creation, with the attributes and organization by which it is 

 now distinguished. The laws which regulate the geographical 

 distribution of species, are next brought under review, in which 

 very interesting discussion, our author considers the distribution, 

 both physical and geographical, of plants and animals, in a man- 

 ner which, although it shews his thorough acquaintance with this 

 department of natural history, does not afford us any new views. 

 The remaining half of the volume relates to the effects produ- 

 ced by the power of vitality on die state of the earth's surface, 

 and on the material constituents of its crust, which is illustrated 

 by numerous interesting observations on the nature of soil, — 

 peat, — bone-caves, — imbedding of organic remains in alluvium, 

 the ruins caused by land-slips — imbedding of organic remains 

 in sub-aqueous deposits, — imbedding of the remains of man and 

 his works in subaqueous strata, — and the natural history of 

 coral reefs. 



3. The Fossil Flora of Great Britain, or Figures and Descriptions 

 of the Vegetable Remains found in a Fossil State in this Coun- 

 try. By Professor Lindley, and Mr William Hutton of 

 Newcastle. Ridgway, London, 1831, in 8vo. numbers. 



Botanists have done but little towards the advancement of 

 subterranean botany, owing, we believe, to their attention ha- 

 ving been directed chiefly to the external forms of plants, inter- 

 nal structure being generally disregarded. We have always 

 maintained, that an accurate knowledge of the internal struc- 

 ture of plants would lead to important results in the arrange- 

 ment and determination, not only of the living, but also of the 

 fossil species. Many of our pupils have been fully impressed 

 with the accuracy of this view ; and lately two of them, Mr 

 Witham and Mr Nicol, have embarked keenly in this inves- 

 tigation, and have already laid before the public interesting 

 comparative results. -Mr Witham's beautiful volume on Fos- 

 sil Plants, which the author states owes so much of its value to 

 the kind assistance of his friend Mr Nicol, and the papers of the 

 latter gentleman read before the Wernerian Society, and partly 



