MODERN SCIENCE. 113 



rigid exactness but its synthetical character makes it difficult 

 of comprehension for those who are unfamiliar with the 

 philosophy of science. 



In the following table of modern science, consulting solely 

 the general reader's convenience, we have been guided by 

 what appears to us a simpler, though less scientific, plan, viz. 

 that of grouping the branches of science in the order of their 

 practical importance, without special regard to their filiation 

 or their logical sequence, observing, however, the chronological 

 succession in which they advanced. 



GROUP I. Taking first Biology that is, the organic group 

 we shall successively survey its sub-branches Botany, 

 Anatomy, Zoology, Palaeontology, Physiology, Biology 

 proper, Anthropology, Philology, and Sociology.* 



BOTANY. 



16281694. Malpighi applied the microscope as an aid 

 to botany, thereby immensely extending the stock of previous 

 knowledge ; revealed the minute germs, fibres, and vessels in 

 the structure of plants (1661), becoming thus the FOUNDER 

 OF VEGETABLE ANATOMY. Among the numerous discoveries 

 he made in the texture of plants, arrived at by constant 

 watching and observation, he detected the cellular tissue, the 

 ducts, the whole process of growth of seeds, describing the 

 different stages of the germ and pointing out the develop- 

 ment to be similar in many respects to the growth of the chick 

 in the egg. GREW (1628 1711) was pursuing the same 

 investigations at the same time, and made several discoveries. 

 It was Grew who discovered the stomates, and their function. 

 These little mouths open and shut to receive and give out air 

 and moisture. But it was Dr. HALES (1677 1761) who clearly 

 discovered the way in which plants breathe through the sto- 

 mates, showing these to be the organs of respiration though 

 he did not find out that plants decompose the air, and absorb 

 carbon and reject oxygen a discovery which was made later. 



1628 1704. Ray, after lengthy travels over Europe with 

 * Appendix AA contains a definition of each branch. 



I 



