SHORT NOTICES. 157 



tween the animal and veg'etable kingdoms, and then proceeds 

 to demonstrate the fact by showing tliat infusoij animalcules 

 are produced from the tissues of plants. His observations are 

 undoubtedly curious, but from his having a preconceived notion 

 to establish, they must all be taken with considerable caution. 

 One of the great objects of the work is to show that the ordi- 

 nary cells of the cellular tissue of plants become converted 

 into true infusory animalcules. Not only does M. Laurent 

 attempt to demonstrate this fact, but having thus procured 

 his animalcules, he proceeds to give a detailed history of their 

 habits and functions, very different, indeed, from any that 

 has hitherto appeared. The work is illustrated with twenty- 

 two quarto plates, giving coarse though graphic views of all 

 sorts of animalcules ; but in these the experienced niicrosco- 

 pist will meet with many forms that are familiar enough in 

 ordinary vegetable infusions, whilst in others he will not fail 

 to observe the workings of an imagination bent on supporting 

 a particular view of the facts presented. 



