Bibliography. 371 



were formerly simple because they were meagre ; and they are now 

 more difficult of attainment on account of their extent and copiousness. 

 Geology was certainly a much less formidable science in the time of 

 Werner, chemistry in the days of Lavoisier, and botany even as left 

 by Linnaeus, than in their present condition. But if the amount of labor 

 demanded in both cases be compared with the amount and importance 

 of the knowledge thereby acquired, which is the proper method of 

 stating the question, we shall doubtless arrive at the same conclusion 

 with our author. 



3. Lecons de Bofauique, comprenant principalement la Morphologie 

 Vegetale, la Terminologie., la Botanique Comparee, VExamen de la, 

 valeur des Caractercs dans les diverses families naturelles, etc. : par 

 AuGUSTE de St. Hilaire. Paris, 1 vol. 8vo. (2 parts,) pp. 930, with 

 24 plates. 1840-4L — This treatise is written in a remarkably lucid 

 and elegant, we may say brilliant style ; and, although it contains much 

 original matter, and such profound views as might be expected from 

 the pen of so distinguished and philosophical a botanist as M. Saint- 

 Hilaire, yet it is sufficiently elementary for the use of the tyro. It does 

 not treat of vegetable anatomy oi; physiology, but is confined, as the 

 title denotes, to morphology, &c., or to botany in the restricted sense ; 

 upon which subject it is not only the latest, but doubtless the best text- 

 book extant. The discours preliminaire commences, in the usual 

 manner, with an attempt to distinguish by a definition organized from 

 inorganized bodies, and plants from animals. " Parmi les corps qui 

 nous environnent, les uns, bruts et inertes, sonts prives de mouvement 

 et de vie ; ils ne naissent point, ils se forment ; ils no se nourrissent, 

 ils s'agglomerent ; ils ne meurent point, ils se decomposent. Les au- 

 tres, au contraire, naissent pourvus d'organes destines a des fonctions 

 diverses ; ils vivent, se nourrissent, se developpent, et, avant de se de- 

 composer, ils meurent. Les premieres sont les corps inorganiques, les 

 seconds les corps organises. Ceux-ci, cependant, n'atteignent tons 

 le meme degre de perfection ; il en est qui, doues de sensibilite, le sont 

 en meme temps de diverses qualites qui semblent etre la consequence 

 de la faculte de sentir ; appeles a eviter la douleur a rechercher le 

 plaisir, ils peuvent a volonte se transporter d'un lieu dans un autre ; 

 toute espece de nourriture ne leur convient point, ils savent choisir celle 

 qui leur est propre, et risquant de ne pas toujours rencontrer des ali- 

 mens capables de s'assimiler a leur substance, ils les deposent dans 

 un cavite intericure qui leur sert en quelque sort de magasin ; enfin, 

 ayant un centre de nutrition et de vie, ils peuvent rarement etre sepa- 

 res en plusieurs parties, favorisees chacune d'une vie individuelle ; 

 06 sent les animaux. Les plantes, au contraire, paraissent ne point 



