1820.] Roi/al Academy of Sciences. 457 



there are some species of which the juice is not poisonous, as 

 the euphorbia balsumifera of the Canaries, and the asclepias lac~ 

 tifera of Ceylon. 



Messrs. de Humboldt and Bonpland are continuing the pub- 

 lication of their great botanical work ; it is entitled " Nova 

 genera et Species plantaruniEquinoctialiuni."* The third volume, 

 which will 1)6 finished in a few months, and the fourth, which is 

 already printed, but not yet published, will complete the series 

 of monopetalous plants. These four volumes contain more than 

 3000 new species, divided into 623 genera, of which nearly 100 

 are new. M. Kunth, who is a correspondent of the Academy, 

 and has undertaken the publication of this work, describes in the 

 family of the composite plants nearly 600 species classed accord- 

 ing to a method peculiar to himself. Some notes, which M. 

 Humboldt has added, give an account of the heights at which 

 the plants of the cordiUeras grow, and contain observations on 

 the distribution of vegetables upon the surface of the earth. 



Two volumes still remain to be pubhshed ; they will be devoted 

 to the polypetalous plants. 



But as the plan adopted respecting the nova genera et species 

 does not admit of giving figures of all the plants collected by 

 these travellers, M. Kunth has begun to give, in a separate work, 

 entitled, " Miraoses et autres Plantes du nouveau Continent de 

 la Famille des Lcgumineuses," a selection of the most beautiful 

 species. The plates, which are executed with all the splendour 

 which French engraving has attained, will be accompanied by a 

 general work on leguminous plants. The figures belonging to 

 the first number of this monography have been presented to the 

 Academy. 



In order to assign to each genus its place in the natural order, 

 M. Kunth was obhged to study particvdarly all the families of the 

 plants, to examine the immense number of genera and species 

 preserved in herbariums, and to consult all the authors who had 

 already treated of the same subjects. In consequence of these 

 researches, he has given in separate memoirs general remarks on 

 the femihes of the graminefc, of the cyperacevE, ofthepiperacea?, 

 of the aroideic ; and since that he has considered the iauiily of 

 the bignonaceas. The object of these memoirs is either to point 

 out the groupes or subdivisions which may be established in 

 these families, or to fix the characters of their genera with 

 more precision. 



At the same time, Mr. Hooker, the learned author of the 

 Monograph of the Jungermannia, is continuing to publish in 

 London the cryptogamous plants which M. Humboldt entrusted 

 to his care. He has united these plants to those collected by 



♦ Nova s;ciier;i et species plant.nnun qiias in ])ereu:riiialir)ne ail |)I;is;:'m :pf|iiiiH>c- 

 (i:ilem orliis irovi eolli-i;eriiiit, dosii ijisciiint el adiinilu.ivcniiit Am. l>ni)|ilan(i et 

 Al. cle Humboldt. ILk bcliciiii auti);;rjiiliis A. IJoniii.iiiiJii iii uidiiicui digesiil (J. S. 

 Rmiili. 



