Botanical Writings of Rafinesque. 241 



We have only seen a few sheets of this miscellaneous work, 

 which purports to be the commencement of a periodical or occa- 

 sional publication. The first article is a general classification of 

 the sciences comprised in " Cosmosy, or Natural History." Here 

 we meet with such names as the following branches of Asiro- 

 graphy, viz. " Astrosy, Heliosy, Tholosy, Selenosy, Cometosy, 

 Toxosy, &c., applying to the stars, the sun, the planets, the 

 moons, the comets, and the various Tixomes (other bodies) of 

 the skies ;" as well as " Atmology, the science of the atmos- 

 phere," with its branches, such as " Yetology, of rains; Phosolo- 

 gy, of luminous meteors ;" not to mention Dimnology, Pota- 

 mology, Stromology^ Spilology, Volcanology, Stocology, Ethero- 

 logy^ Gazology, Gazomy, Uxromy, Flogomy, " the flogomes, or 

 burning substances," Campsology, &c., (fcc, &c. This reminds 

 us of a paper which Rafinesque many years ago sent to the editor of 

 a well known scientific journal, describing and characterizing, in 

 natural history style, twelve new species of thunder and lightning! 

 But the only botanical article we have seen is a " Revision of the 

 Carexides^'''' in which the simple genus Carex is divided into two 

 sub-families and eighteen genera : and we observe that the same 

 species, under different names, are frequently cited as the types 

 of two or three different genera. With this, so far as we can as- 

 certain, the last botanical article of this indefatigable writer, we 

 close our remarks, which many readers will probably consider un- 

 reasonably prolix.* A. G. 



* Mr. Rafinesque's papers on Zoology, Fossil Remains, &c. are numerous ; but 

 we are not prepared to enumerate them. The following are some of his more con- 

 siderable miscellaneous works, exclusive of those previously inentioned, viz. 



Tlie American Nations ; or outlines of their general history, ancient and modern, 

 including the whole history of the earth and mankind in the western hemisphere, 

 &c. &c. Vol. I. Philadelphia, (published by the author,) 1836. 8vo. pp. 560. 

 Vol.11, is also said to be published. 



Safe Banking ; including the principles of wealth. Philadelphia, 1837. 12mo. 

 pp. 136. 



Celestial Wonders and Philosophy of the Visible Heavens. 1839. 



Genius and Spirit of the Hehreio Bible, &c. 



The World, or Instability ; a Poem in twenty parts : with notes and illustrations. 

 Philadelphia, (J. Dobson,) 1836. 8vo. pp. 248. 



