48 HISTORY OF BRITISH ZOOPHYTES. 



Edinburgh, his interesting ^vo^k, tlie 'History of British 

 Zoophytes/ already referred to. Tliis was hailed as a most 

 valuable production, and being favourably received, a second 

 edition of it, in two volumes, was published by Van Voorst, 

 in London. The second volume consists of plates from the 

 felicitous pencil of his accomplished lady; and many of 

 them were also engraved by lier. These illustrations greatly 

 enhance the value of this treatise, which is the standard 

 work on this subject. 



"\Te might have greatly extended this history, but we 

 have limited ourselves to short notices of those works that 

 have taken in the whole field of British zoophytology. Our 

 object, however, has been answered by showing how matters 

 now stand. The animality of zoophytes has been fully 

 established; and how much has that widened the range 

 for the contemplative naturalist, to adore the goodness of 

 God. The microscope shows us that there are myriads of 

 myriads of his creatures enjoying happiness, and by their 

 works and by their very happiness proclainn'ng his praise, 

 where formerly nothing but the sportiveness of crystaUiza- 

 tion, or at best the unconscious workings of vegetation, 

 were beheld. The happiness of these little creatures, espe- 

 cially when we take their numbers numberless into account. 



