THE LONGEVITY OF TREES. 



The " Histoire des Arbres Forestieres de l'Amerique Sep- 

 tentrionale " * of the younger Michaux is chiefly known in 

 this country through the English translation made by Mr. 

 Hillhouse, under the superintendence of the author, who 

 added some new plates, and information not contained in the 

 French edition. It was published in Paris in the year 1819. 

 We have no intention of formally reviewing, at this late day, 

 a work of such long-established reputation as the Sylva of 

 Michaux. It has been the standard treatise upon the subject 

 ever since its publication ; and it well deserves the rank it 

 holds. We wish rather to offer our grateful acknowledg- 

 ments to the memory of the late Mr. William Maclure for 

 his liberal endeavors to render this important and quite ex- 

 pensive work more generally accessible in the country, the 

 noble forests of which it is designed to illustrate. In fur- 

 therance of this object, Mr. Maclure, if we are rightly in- 

 formed, purchased in Paris the copies which remained unsold 

 the year after its publication, and sold them in the United 

 States at a very reduced price. With liberal forethought, 

 he bought also the original copperplates of this book, and of 

 several other expensive works of science and art ; intending 

 to have them reprinted in this country in a cheaper form, so 

 as to insure them a wider circulation. 2 During the last twelve 

 years of his life, or from the time of the total failure of the 

 " great social experiment" made at New Harmony, Indiana, by 

 the celebrated Robert Owen and himself, down to his decease 

 in 1840, Mr. Maclure resided in the city of Mexico. The 



1 " North American Review," July, 1844. 



2 Among these are the complete copperplates of Veillot's " Histoire 

 Naturelle des Oiseaux de l'Amenqne Septentrionale " ; and Audebert's 

 " Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux," etc. 



