18 lees's lecture on the affinities of 



means foreign substances have become imbedded in the very centre of 

 trees.* 



From a very clever account of particular trees, among others, of the 

 Fortingal yew, the Tortworth chesnut, the Cowthorpe oak, the gigantic 

 Baobab of Africa, the Zaymang of Guayra, &c. &c., the lecturer 

 proceeds to an investigation of the affinities of herbs and flowers, 

 entering into some exceedingly amusing details ; his brief view of 

 '* magical plants'* and their presumed virtues, the superstition with 

 which they were regarded, together with the explanation of the simple 

 and natural causes of what were, of yore, deemed super-natural indi- 

 cations, will, we doubt not, be read with interest. The *'wars,'' or, as 

 we would rather term them, the ** usurpations*' of plants, their sleep, 

 hybernation, social relations and immigrations are respectively com- 

 mented upon with much clearness. The irritability of plants the 

 lecturer points out in a very interesting manner — ** so touchy," remarks 

 he, " is the cardamine impatiens, so susceptible the * touch-me-not* 

 (impatiens noli-me-tangere) , that the slightest movement irritates them, 

 and at a breath they unsheath their arms, to scatter around — not the 

 desolation of the warrior — but a countless progeny to rise up and adorn 

 the earth.'* (P. 49.) The eleterium (commonly known as the " spirting 

 cucumber*') is one of this peevish description of plants : as a medicine it 

 is possessed of singular properties, but such is the nature of these, that 

 it should never be exhibited but by one of the faculty. On the diffusion, 

 or as the writer denominates it, the "immigration" of plants, many 

 curious and original observations well deserving attention are brought 

 forward by the lecturer. 



From the affinities of plants with man, Mr. Lees passes to their 

 affinities with animals, birds, insects, &c., tracing them with equal effect; 

 and terminates his able lecture with a glance at the radiate and zoophytic 

 bodies popularly known as animal flowers, corals, and sponges. Upon 

 the whole we have derived much real pleasure from the perusal of a 

 pamphlet which displays the chain of dependence running through 

 creation, and uniting by perceptible links the members of the animal and 

 vegetable worlds from "man himself down to the lowest zoophyte.** 

 Mr. Lees is stimulated by a love of his subject, and labours to communi- 

 cate a similar excitement to his reader j this, perhaps, now and then leads 

 him to indulge in metaphor, and to theorize somewhat more fancifully 

 than he might otherwise have done ; but that he has bestowed much 

 serious attention upon his discourse is apparent, and his diligent 

 research reflects great credit upon his zeal and assiduity. Some few 

 inaccuracies of expression, a trifling inflation of style, only occasional 

 we admit, a *' leetle'* too much sentiment, and a certain shade of sickli- 

 ness in the complexion of that sentiment, can scarcely be referred to as 

 defects worthy of censure where the object of the writer is so laudable 

 as to place in view " the skill and wisdom everywhere displayed by a 

 beneficent Creator.*' Still we must indulge our own cynical humour 

 before we lay down our pen. To us it appears that the amusements of 

 childhood, the plucking king-cups and daffodils in the meadows, the 

 wading breast-high in the long grass, and blowing the down from the 

 feathery globe of the leontodon taraxacum are pleasures innocent, and 

 meet enough for the babe and the schoolboy, but that nobler employ- 

 ments and aspirations and prospects await the dawning of manhood, and 

 more than recompense the loss of the former : the maturity of intellect, 



* Sir Asbton Lever's museum contained an extraordinary item— viz., the thigh 

 bone of a stag, incorporated with a piece of heart-of-oak. Vide Catalogue, 



