56 Dr A. INIiirray on the Iiijiiiouc (^'JiocLn 



George Martine, who liad studied the Eustachian tables in the 

 edition of Lancisi, for the year 1720, and who liad only relin- 

 quished the design of publishing them in 1740, by being sent 

 on the public service to America. Though their publication 

 was afterwards delayed on ihe announcement of the edition of 

 Albinus, it was found, on the appearance of that work, that 

 they were not superseded. The commentaries of George Mar- 

 tine constitute the most learned, acute, and critical treatise on 

 the Eustachian Anatomy that has yet appeared ; and, though 

 the improved engravings of modern times have, to a great ex- 

 tent, superseded those of the Roman physician, they will always 

 be perused with interest by all who study the literary history of 



anatomy. 



{To be continued.) 



Thoughts regarding the Influence of Rocks vpon Native Ve- 

 getables. By Alexander Muruay, M. D. & A. M. Aber- 

 deen. Communicated by the Author. 



iV GENTLEMAN in this neighbourhood, who is in the habit of 

 seeing Loudon's Magazine, some time ago directed my attention 

 to one of the late numbers, on account of its containing a paper 

 — wherein various interesting observations are to be found — 

 under the title of " Remarks on the Relations subsisting be- 

 tween Strata and the Plants most frequently found in their su- 

 perincumbent Soils. By W. Thomson."" As he brings forward, 

 in a prominent manner, certain observations of mine, published 

 in Professor Jameson's Journal, I may be allowed to offer, on 

 the same subject, the following remarks, tending to a different 

 conclusion from that adopted by Mr Thomson — who believes 

 that the vegetable productions are largely influenced, if not in- 

 variably determined, by the rocks. 



It will be readily admitted, that the existence of an unvarying 

 connexion between indigenous vegetables and the rocks over 

 which they grow, would be viewed as a beautiful association, 

 calculated to increase not a little the attractions both of geology 

 and botany ; but the interest which would be attached to the 

 circumstance, though sometimes used apparently in place of an 

 argument, has, it is very evident, no bearing upon the question 



