480 BOTANY. 



the food or the habitation of numberless living beings, many of 

 them apparently of little use to man, but necessary to complete 

 the most beneficent purposes. And the little that is accu- 

 rately known of the cultivated species, or the few used in medi- 

 cine, leads to hope that others of equal importance may still 

 be discovered. It is singular that even the native country of 

 most of the Cerealia is far from being ascertained ; the iden- 

 tical plants which furnish many of the most approved medicines 

 used in Europe are not satisfactorily known ; and it is not ex- 

 travagant to expect, that when the science of botany shall have 

 farther explored the almost innumerable vegetable substances of 

 which at present scarcely any thing is known beyond the name, 

 many articles may still be added to the list of those useful as 

 food, in the arts, or as 'agents in mitigating human ailments. 



The number of plants known to botanists is about 60,000 

 species ; and from the great portions of the globe yet to be 

 botanically explored, it is conjectured 40,000 more may be ad- 

 ded to this number. 



In the preceding sketch of the Vegetable Kingdom, it has 

 been the object rather to give a general view of this great branch 

 of Natural History, as connected with the previous classes of 

 organized beings, than to enter into details. The science of 

 Botany includes objects so numerous, that these details must 

 have been imperfectly given in any space that could have been 

 here allotted for this purpose. This, however,,is the less to be 

 regretted, as we possess in the English Language many valua- 

 ble works in which the principles of the science are minutely 

 explained. Such among many others are Hull's Elements of 

 Botany the late Sir James Edward Smith's Introduction to 

 Botany and Grammar of Botany : And to the practical bota- 

 nist, the English Botany and English Flora of the same au- 

 thorthe Flora Scotica of Dr Hooker and the Flora Edin- 

 ensis of Dr Greville describe the indigenous species and indi- 

 cate tneir localities. 



