442 Bibliographical Notices. 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



Principles of Scientific Botany ; or Botany as an Inductive Science. 

 By Dr. M. J. Schleiden, Extraordinary Professor of Botany in 

 the University of Jena. Translated by Edwin Lankester, M.D., 

 F.R.S. &c. London, Longman and Co., 1849. Pp. 616. Wood- 

 cuts and 6 Plates. 



Whatever may be the opinion as to the correctness of Professor 

 Schleiden's views upon certain questions, in connexion with which 

 his name is best known in this country, there can be no doubt that 

 he ranks among the first original observers of the present day, and 

 this work is undoubtedly the most valuable systematic exposition of 

 the structural department of botany which has yet been given to the 

 world. The thanks of the botanists of this country are therefore 

 due to Dr. Lankester for the present translation, which although by 

 no means free from blemishes, may be received, on the whole, as a 

 fair average rendering of a work which is admitted to present con- 

 siderable difficulties. 



We cannot afford space, supposing even it were desirable in 

 this place, to enter upon the discussion of the many points on which 

 Prof. Schleiden is at issue with many other celebrated botanists ; 

 we must simply indicate that these are fully considered in this 

 work. An appendix contains some important changes given in a third 

 edition of the first part of the original, which appeared while this 

 translation was in the press. From this it will be seen that Prof. 

 Schleiden has greatly modified his earlier views on cell- development, 

 and now approaches to an agreement with his opponents. 



The work is divided into four books : — 1 . The Chemistry of Plants, 

 on which subject the author goes into much greater detail than was 

 usual with botanical writers until the publication of this treatise. 

 2. On the Plant- cell, under which head all the forms of the ele- 

 mentary tissues are treated, as also the physiology of these struc- 

 tures. 3. Morphology, divided into general and special ; the second 

 comprehending a minute account of the organization of all the great 

 classes of plants, the Cryptogamic being examined separately and 

 successively, while the Monocotyledons and Dicotyledons are re- 

 viewed together under sections founded on their different organs. 

 This portion of the work is very rich in original observation, and is 

 particularly characterized by the peculiar views of the author, espe- 

 cially by the strict definition of axial and foliar organs, the views 

 entertained respecting piacentation, the nature of ovules, and the 

 doctrine maintained concerning the origin of the embryo. The 4th 

 book is entitled Organology, by which we understand Physiology. 

 Sect. D. contains some very important matter on the subject of the 

 processes of Nutrition. While arguing strongly in favour of the 

 views of Liebig and others, that the chief portion of the carbon and 

 ammonia required by plants is received by them in an inorganic 

 condition, he admits the possibility and even the probability of the 

 absorption of organic compounds, as urged by Mulder: the possibi- 

 lity is evident from the physiology of parasitic plants, and the plants 



