EXTENSION OF THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 13 



from the observations made by Biot and other Natu- 

 ralists, that fishes, according to their different dispo- 

 sitions, live in different depths of the Ocean. The 

 parallel circles drawn in the sea correspond with 

 the lines parallel to the snow-line : they, however, 

 refer only in part to a well-known condition of life, 

 and in part belong to a probable one. 



GENERAL EXTENSION OF THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 

 I. 



The vegetable world, according to distinctive cha- 

 racters which may be observed in plants, has been 

 arranged under three grand heads; to each of which 

 a name is assigned, from the peculiarities of seeds and 

 buds. 



Many plants, especially herbs, shrubs, and trees, 

 bear seed, consisting of a single bud involved in two 

 seed-lobes, Cotyledones ; which, after germination, 

 when the lobes appear above the earth, form two 

 seed-leaves. Seeds of this kind are called Dicotyle- 

 dones ; a name which has been given to the plants 

 themselves, whose seeds are of the above-mentioned 

 description. Other plants bear seeds having a single 

 bud with one seed-lobe: these are called Monocotyle- 

 dones : and the name has likewise been given to the 



