Estahlishment of Vegetation at the Surface of the Globe. 65 



reflect upon the origin of this beautiful and abundant vegeta- 

 tion, or rather referring it to the period of the general creation 

 of beings, it seems to us to lose itself in the mysterious obscurity 

 of the formation of the universe ; and we thus find ourselves dis- 

 charged, as it were, from the task of inquiring, by what means 

 nature has everywhere diffused this precious mould, the source 

 of riches and of life, and which yet is but the residue of genera- 

 tions heaped upon generations. Here an objection presents it- 

 self, which appears, in part, to destroy what I have advanced. 

 If vegetable earth, it may be said, is necessary to the existence 

 of plants, it must have been created previously to their existence, 

 and can only receive what it had itself furnished them. 



Such has been the error, which, during a long series of ages, 

 has prevented our understanding one of the greatest operations 

 of nature, and which, although continually before our eyes, has 

 only escaped our observation from the little attention which we 

 have bestowed upon an order of plants considered as little wor- 

 thy of regard from their homeliness of aspect, their diminutive 

 size, and the simplicity of their composition ; but when the pier- 

 cing eye of genius determined their relations in the natural order 

 of things, when it recognised the functions which they had to 

 fulfil, and the rank which they occupy in the general system of 

 vegetation, they assumed a character of grandeur, which direct- 

 ed the attention toward their existence. It has been discovered, 

 that, so far from requiring vegetable earth for their subsistence, 

 they have furnished it by their decomposition, in small quantity 

 it is true, but yet sufficient for the reception of plants of an or- 

 der somewhat higher, and to which, in proportion as the vegeta- 

 ble earth increases, succeed vegetables much more vigorous. 



To explain what we have to say upon this subject, we must 

 fix our notice, for a moment, upon those plants which I have 

 said to be the basis of vegetation. Although very common through- 

 out nature, they have scarcely been remarked. They every- 

 where invest walls, rocks, humid places, and the trunks of trees ; 

 they attach themselves to all substances, however little they may 

 be favoured by circumstances. The rays of the sun, and dry 

 and cold winds, are as much inimical to them, as shade and hu- 

 midity are favourable. These plants bear the names of coTi/erva, 

 bi/ssi, and lichens. To them succeed mosses, hepatica, lycopo- 



OCTOBER DECEMBER 1826. E 



