Bibliographical Notices, 111 



datis dentato-repandis glabris, petiolis asperis, pedunculis filiformibus, flori- 

 biis nutantibus, calcare brevissimo. G. Don, Syst. Gard. i. p. 334. — Viola 

 Sieberiana, Spreng. Syst. Veg. App. p. 68. /' 



New Zealand (Northern Island). Among fern, near the Mission House 

 <m the Keri-Keri river, Bay of Islands. — 1833, R. Cunningham, 



£To be continued.] 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



Principles of General and Comparative Physiology , intended as an in- 

 troduction to the study of Human Physiology, and as a Guide to the 

 Philosophical Pursuit of Natural History. By William B. Car- 

 penter, M.R.C.S., late President of the Royal Medical and Royal 

 Physical Societies of Edinburgh, &c. &c. With 240 Figures on 

 Copper and Wood. London, 1839. 



Few errors in the mode of pursuing science are more common than 

 to commence the study of some particular branch without that pre- 

 liminary knowledge which is most likely to render it interesting and 

 profitable. This is especially the case in the sciences of natural hi- 

 story and physiology. How frequently we observe young persons 

 zealously devoting themselves to some department of botany, — the 

 collection of the Phanerogamia of Great Britain for example, — with- 

 out thinking it worth while to make themselves acquainted with 

 aught beyond their simple external characters, and thus losing the 

 pleasure which the contemplation of the structure of these plants, and 

 of the analogies of their organs with those of the Cryptogamia on 

 the one hand and of animals on the other, cannot fail to afford to 

 those who properly seek for it, besides foregoing many opportunities 

 of contributing something to the common stock of knowledge! 

 Scarcely less common is it to meet with those who imagine them- 

 selves to be diligent zoologists, when their endeavours are solely di- 

 rected to the acquisition of the most complete collection of shells, 

 of whose inhabitants they know nothing, or of the most perfect se- 

 ries of butterflies or beetles, whose wonderful transformations and 

 beautiful internal structure are regarded by them with indifference. 

 The mere collector has little idea how much enjoyment he loses by 

 not carrying his inquiries further, that is to say, if he have a soul 

 capable of such enjoyment, and not entirely engrossed with the 

 amor hahendi. Even among those who possess a truly scientific 

 knowledge of individual branches of natural history it is but too 

 common to discover but a superficial acquaintance with others, such 



