22 Mr. R. B. Hiucls un Geographic Botany. 



barren, that the flora is altogether that of the adjacent continents ; 

 or in some of the coral groups in the Pacific, such as the Radack 

 chain, perhaps within no distant period first emerged from the 

 ocean, which have received their plants from neighbouring 

 islands. 



6. The absence of any circumstances tending to support a 

 change in the condition of the vegetable kingdom, svich as the 

 production of new species, or the disappearance of others. — Lyell 

 has used considerable ingenuity in his attempt to prove, " that 

 the species existing at any particular period must, in the course 

 of ages, become extinct."^ A conclusion of this kind was highly 

 desii'able to establish his \iews, but we cannot help placing a dif- 

 ferent estimate on the speculations of Brocchi. It is quite gra- 

 tuitous to suppose, that species like individuals might advance in 

 age, from " certain peculiarities of constitution conferred on them 

 at their bh-th.-'^ I may ventiu'e confidently to affirm, that as far 

 as experience yet goes, we have no reason to conclude that plants 

 have disappeared ; nor can we allow that new species have ap- 

 peared, hybrids seldom occm'ring in nature, and when produced 

 by art only continuing through two or three generations. 



These facts vary in the value to be attached to them severally, 

 but collectively they form a powerful argument in support of the 

 theory, that the earth was everywhere, at the same moment, fiu'- 

 nished with a \egetation in accordance with the physical cncum- 

 stances which prevailed. The exact state in which vegetation 

 fii'st existed, whether springing up from seeds, or in flowers and 

 fruit, whether originally assuming the weakest phase in the cir- 

 cle of its existence, or appearing at once in the full vigoui* of its 

 growth, this is needless for us to inquire. It is most probable, 

 that as the wants of man were suddenly created, the means of 

 gratifpng them were co-existent ; such is the conclusion to be 

 draAra from the sacred ^ATitings ; and if ever we were gratified by 

 a knowledge of this minute particular, it woidd be of no ser^-ice 

 to us, being a solitary circumstance and xA-ithout any connexion 

 with the subsequent state of the original flora of the world. 



]\Iany of the natural families are so widely diff'used, that they 

 are represented in nearly every portion of the globe. More than 

 a third of the whole have members in the six divisions already 

 stated, a greater number still in five of these, and so on, till we 

 find but a few left which occupy or are confined to a solitarv di- 

 vision. Among the ten agamic families there is only one, Ma?-- 

 si/eacea, not found in them all. Those which are confined to one 

 province are, — in Europe, Glohularinece, CeratophijHece ; in .^sia, 

 Dipterocarpece, Aquilarinece, Camelliece, Hydrocerece, Moringece, 

 Siilaginece ; in Africa, Bruniacea, Brcxacea, Belvisiaceep, Pena- 

 accce; in North America, Fourquieracea, Smraceniea ; in South 



