14 INTRODUCTION. 



As a public teacher however, he was less distinguish- 

 ed than the late Professor Barton of Philadelphia. 

 Like the pupils of Linnaeus, his were numerous ; and 

 many of them having imbibed his spirit, have cultiva- 

 ted, with zeal and success, the science which contribu- 

 ted to the usefulness and pleasure of their benevolent 

 instructor. 



But while these men were employed in collecting, 

 describing, and arranging the plants of different coun- 

 tries, and accelerating the progress of systematic bota- 

 others with equal zeal, devoted their time to the 

 study of vegetable physiology. 



Among them were Grew of England, and 3Ialpigbi 

 of Italy : both distinguished for the originality and cor- 

 rectness of their observations, which were for a long 

 while adopted, without alteration or improvement. 

 Thev were succeeded by Dr. Hales, a clergyman of 

 the English Church, and a member of the Royal So- 

 ciety, whose work is described as a perfect model of 

 experimental investigation, and whose character is at 

 least equally excellent ; for he was " pious, modest, 

 indefatigable, and born for the discovery of truth." 



He was soon followed by Duhamel of Paris, and 

 Bonnet of Geneva, the former a most worthy botanist, 

 whose physiological observations arc ingenious and 

 instructive ; the latter, distinguished for his luminou3 

 experiments on the uses of leaves. 



Nor should we omit to mention the excellent Gaert- 

 ner, a German physician, whose work is a monument 

 of the author's accuracy and patience, and a repository 

 of information respecting the structure and physiology 

 of the seed. And it would be equally unjust to pass by 

 the names of Mirbel and Knight, for in the following 



res, we shall have frequent occasion to derive in- 



