66 BIOLOGY AXD ITS MAKERS 



from ^loRtpdlicr, in 1878, and which is prefaced by an 

 account of the life and labors of ?Vlalpighi. 



Anatomy of Plants. — ^.ral|)ighi's anatom.y of plants con- 

 stitutes one of his best, as well as one of his most extensive 

 works. In the folio edition of his works, 1675-79, ^^"^^ 

 Anaiome Plantanim occupies not less tlian 152 pages and 

 is illustrated by ninety-three plates of figures. It comprises 

 an exposition of the structure of bark, stem, roots, seeds, the 

 process of germination, and mcludes a treatise on galls, etc., 

 etc. 



In this work the microscopic structure of plants is amply 

 illustrated, and he anticipated to a certain degree the ideas on 

 the cellular structure of plants. Burnett says: 'VHis obser- 

 vations appear to have been very accurate, and not only did 

 he maintain the cellular structure of plants, but also declared 

 that it was composed of separate cells, which he designated 

 ' utricles.' " Thus did he foreshadow the cell theory of plants 

 as developed bv Schleiden in the nineteenth centurv. When 

 it came to interpretations, he made several errors. Applying 

 his often-asserted principle of analogies, he concluded that 

 the vessels of plants are organs of respiration and of circula- 

 tion, from a certain resemblance that they bear to the breath- 

 ini^-tubes of insects. But his observations on structure are 

 good, and if he had accomplislied nothing more than this 

 work on plants he would have a place in the history of botany. 



Work in Embryology. — Difhcult as was his task in insect 

 anatomy and ]j>lant liistology, a more difficult one remains to 

 be mentioned, viz., his observations of the develo])ment of 

 animals. He had pushed his researches into the fmer struc- 

 ture of organisms, and now he attempted to answer this 

 question: How does one of these organisms begin its life, 

 and by what series of steps is its body built up? He turned 

 to the chick, as the most available form in which to get an 

 insight into this process, but he could not extend his obser- 



