of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 259 



zonica, though a bad one ; but, as it is not very unreasonable, in the circum- 

 stances, to doubt this, our loyalty will not allow us to part with the specific 

 name either." (p. 36.) 



Botanical Geography. — Some papers in different journals are noticed, and 

 the following useful abstract given from Link's Botanical Geography of Southern 

 Europe. " Link divides the south of Europe into three regions, from north 

 to south, severally characterised by Lavandula Spica, Myrtus communis, and 

 Nerium Oleander. From west to east, he also divides the south of Europe 

 into three regions, distinguished by the pines and the oaks. The Pinus 

 Pinaster extends from Portugal as far as Genoa ; the plains of Italy are 

 characterised by the Pinus halepensis ; and to the eastward of the Adriatic is 

 a small fir [? P. Pinaster minor] called by Link Pinus maritima, but alto- 

 gether different from the Pinus maritima of De Candolle, which he considers 

 the same as the Pinus Pinaster of Lamarck. The very same regions, from 

 west to east, are severally characterised by the Quercus Ballota, a Quercus 

 which Tenore considers a variety of Quercus pedunculata, and the Quercus 

 iEgilops, all of which have edible fruit." (p. 36.) 



Vegetable Physiology occupies little more than a page ; and, for the omis- 

 sion of Vegetable Chemistry, we have the following apology : — 



" Gentlemen, there are various other subjects to which it was my duty to 

 have adverted in the sketch which you desired me to prepare ; but I am 

 very much ashamed of the length to which it has already gone, and I too 

 much admire your patience to think of punishing by farther taxing it." 



In the next paragraph the subjects thus necessarily omitted are hinted at ; 

 and we quote the passage, because it may recall to the mind of the reader 

 something of what he may have read during the past year in scientific period- 

 icals, foreign and domestic : — 



" Among the subjects which I have thus necessarily omitted, but which 

 have received more or less of notice in Britain during the last year, are the 

 progress of phytochemistry, the existence of salts in an organised state, the 

 reported erosion of glass by cryptogamic plants growing on its surface, the 

 formation of vegetable products, the formation of soils, observations in fossil 

 botan}', and the nature of the plants which are thought to have clothed the 

 earth at different epochs in the world's history, with what I conceive to be 

 the most mistaken attempts, by high authority, at an explanation of the 

 enormous developement of certain cryptogamic plants at a very remote period. 

 I should also have noticed some interesting experiments by Gdppert, in illus- 

 tration of the manner in which petrifaction may be supposed to take place ; 

 but all these matters I must omit, having only named them to show the mul- 

 tiplicity of subjects into which our science has been found to ramify, and the 

 boundless gratification to which its culture will certainly lead." 



On the whole, this paper does not appear to us to be judiciously drawn up. 

 The different subjects which it embraces are not treated in due proportion to 

 their importance ; and some of the most intense interest, as we have seen, are 

 altogether omitted. The remarks of Professor Graham, where he does make 

 any, are too often frivolous ; and with respect to the apology for omitting 

 vegetable chemistry ; viz., because he was " already ashamed for the length he 

 had gone," &c, we consider it ridiculous. A report of this kind should be 

 maturely considered before-hand ; and the extent of every part adjusted 

 according to its importance, and to the magnitude of the whole. The report 

 is stated to be an abstract; but this seems to be a misnomer, for the introduc- 

 tion and the terminating paragraph are given in the first person, evidently as 

 delivered by the professor to his audience. Indeed, this may be said of the 

 greater part of the article. It would be easy to add to remarks of this kind, 

 but we have borne in mind the following observations of the professor. 

 Speaking of Dr. Schleiden's article on the Developement of the Organisation 

 in Phsenogamous Plants, he says : — 



" There is occasionally a little asperity in the paper, which, though used on 

 the right side, is not pleasant ; and were I at all apprehensive that it would be 



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