424 Miscellaneous Intelligence, 



upon the mother stem of the plant, when they travel and lengthen 

 themselves under ground, and become thickened at their extre- 

 mities, produce the tubers of the potato and topinambour. The 

 potato, like a stem, can ramify, and has produced successive rami- 

 fications below the surface of the ground up to four generations, 

 all of them apparent, and produced one upon another. These 

 four generations are rigorously comparable to the branch of a tree, 

 on which were the shoots of 1826, 1827, 1828, and 1829. 



M. Turpin then describes three sorts of existences, or modes of 

 being, or three individual systems, which are observed by the 

 microscope, as conjoining to form, by simple agglomeration, the 

 substance of a potato. The first existence is found in the prodi- 

 gious quantity of distinct mother vesicles, white, soft, transparent, 

 and nearly spherical, which, being placed in an irregular way, with 

 respect to each other, have insignificant and irregular spaces be- 

 tween. The mass of these vesicles is called, in vegetables, the 

 cellular tissue, and in potatoes is, in fact, the starch. In those 

 which are ovaria, exist others, representing the future cellular tissue ; 

 the latter are called globuline. The second system consists of 

 certain internal fibrils, either simple or compound, which originate, 

 extend and vegetate amongst the cellular tissue ; these constitute 

 the vascular tissue. The third system exists in the general mem- 

 brane which invests the whole, and incloses, but without limitation, 

 the vesicles and the fibrils : this is the cuticular system. 



These three existences have a perfect individuality, and never 

 change their nature ; but the cuticle is remarkable, for that nature 

 seems to have placed in it the power of restraining, in every way, 

 the blind and uncertain developements of vesicular or vascular 

 systems which vegetate beneath it. 



Each vesicle of the cellular tissue, and each fibril of the vascular 

 system, has its particular vital centre of vegetation. Each of these 

 elementary systems lives, increases, and propagates upon its own 

 account ; at the same time that it is subjected to make part of a 

 more compound individuality — namely, that of the plant. 



This multiplicity of particular lives, or distinct individuals, in the 

 composition of the masses of vegetables, explains how the life of a 

 plant is equally spread over the whole of the living part ; and how 

 from any of these points may be developed the germination of 

 an adventitious embryo, and consequently of a new plant. 



M. Turpin then applies similar reasoning to animal systems, 

 and endeavours to shew there, also, the existence of independent 

 vital centres, or, of individualities which, though quite distinct, are 

 made to hold the place naturally belonging to them in the compli- 

 cated animal system ; and in thus viewing the subject, he says, 

 " I think I have touched the most important point in the organo- 

 graphy and physiology of organized beings." — Mem. du Museum, 

 xix. p. 1. 



