Frendh National Institute. 393 



as M. Poitcau has made the same observation on several other 

 plants with a single cotylechm, we may suppose that this 

 substitution of" nunjerous roots and secondary to a principal 

 root takes place, because each fasciculus ot" fibres ot" the 

 jiionoeotyledonous plants has its proper root. This naturally 

 recals to our minds the fine oljstiivation of M, dii Petit- 

 Thouars on the increase in size of the dracxna, which has 

 been discuss-jd in the reports of preceding years. 



ZOOLOGY, 



The researches of M. Cuvier respecting fossil animals 

 have generally led him to preliminary discussions as to 

 the species admitted by nalnraiists, and they have been al- 

 most always the source of some valuable observations m 

 zoology properly so called. Thus in his Memoir on the 



osteoloejy of the lamantin, when considerino; the orp-aniza- 



. . . . , . '-^ ^ 



tK)n of the amphibious mammiferae, he is led to separate 



phoci and viorsi, the dugous, the lamantins and the species 

 described by Stelfer which' had been coiiKounded with these 

 last animaii. The.se three genera form a tannly which u 

 distinguished among its members by the absence of the pos- 

 terior extremities, and by the teeth of herbivorous animals: 

 he reduces to two the four species of lamantms esiabhshed 

 by Buifon, and gives precise characters to those winch he 

 admits into these different genera. 



In another Memoir, on cats, the same author gives the 

 osteological character of the head of the chief species of 

 this genus, and he gives an account of one which had not 

 been recognised by modern naturalists. This new species 

 has received the name of leopard, which had become syno- 

 nymous wiih panther, for want of a precise application. 

 It difiers from ibis last species in being of a smaller size, 

 and having more numerr»us spots. 



M. GeoflVov had long formed under the name of At(^les 

 a particular division of apes devoid of thumbs, which had 

 been formerly confounded with the sapajons, from the 

 catching tail which is common to all these animals. He has 

 added two ncxv species to those wliich heh.ad already given 

 an account of, and lias ii;iven figures and descriptions of" 

 them. One of these only, to which he gives the name of 

 Arachnoides, and wliich is yellow, had been descibed by 

 Kdvvards and B.own. The other denominated E/icadrce 

 ib entirely new; it is black with white iiair around ih.Q 

 face. 



The same author has given a description of two birds, 

 the one scarcely iinovvn^ and tht; other entirely new; this 



last 



