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forms out of existence, so the first and original forms are lost, their 

 "■elatiuous bodies leaviuG; no fossil remains, and their surviving descend- 

 ants, which are now nearest themselves, still teach us the inseparable 

 connection between plants and animals. Between plants and animals, 

 in their extremely low forms, no line of distinction has yet been drawn. 

 So conjoined are the two that some organisms have been supposed by 

 high authorities to belong to one at one period of their lives, and to the 

 other at another. Very many are classed as plants by some authors 

 and as animals by others. Great credit is due to the authors of this 

 Paper for their courage in taking up so formidable a topic, and for 

 temperate, clear, and learned discussion. 



It is natural to inquire why did not Dr. Wilson become an author '' 

 His life was devoted to study, why did he not publish his thoughts ? 

 There were several reasons for this. One was his unobtrusive disposi- 

 tion. He was not fond of exhibiting publicly his own views and opi- 

 nions, especially when he thought they might yet be amended. Ano- 

 ther was the fact that his views and opinions were constantly improving 

 and enlarging by his constant and varied studies. There is a wide dif- 

 ference between a man who devotes himself to a speciality, to the study 

 of some one chosen subject, and a man like Dr. Wilson, whose studies 

 embrace all creation. The latter requires many more years for com- 

 pleting his labors and maturing his opinions. In the present day va- 

 rious questions are rising which require a universal study for their so- 

 lution. For instance, the work of creation — has it been done by a 

 slow process, and by agencies and laws now in operation, or by sudden 

 efforts and by miraculous powers ? No narrow studies on any one sci- 

 entific topic are here of much worth. Greology, minerology, botany, 

 zoijlogy, ethnography, astronomy, and the forces and laws revealed by 

 natural philosophy and chemistry, must all contribute their parts to 

 the solution of this grand question. Dr. Wilson's mind was wonderful 

 for the extent of its range. This must be evident from what has 

 already been said about his studies, his travels, and his labors in pro- 

 viding books and museums in every department of research. An im- 

 pressive instance was revealed soon after his death. It was then dis- 

 covered that he had just previously been employed in the examination 

 of the old Inca language of Peru, and that he had imported an Inca 

 dictionary and other means for his assistance from Europe. He had 

 not, however, said a word about all this to any one. But it can easily 

 be seeu what a bearing this study must have on ethnological questions, 

 such as the origin of races and of man. While his studies were thus 



