432 Scientific Intelligence. 
Happily it occurred to DeCandolle that an interest might be imparted to 
an onerous undertaking, and a work of necessity be turned to good ac- 
count for science, by studyi ing the Oaks in view of the question of Species, 
hat this term — ‘means, or should mean, in peg history, 
is 
“ae then in the progress of science se come to assume a new 
ful interest. Botany and Zoology, Geology, and what our piece feeling 
the want of a new term, proposes to name Epiontology, all lead up to 
and converge into this class * questions, while recent theories shape a 
point the discussion. So we look with eager interest to see what light 
the study of Oaks, by a very careful, experienced, and conservative bot- 
anist, particularly — with the geographical relations of plants, 
may throw sey the subjec 
The course of inv can in this instance does not differ from that or 
dinarily bcsdend by working botanists ; nor, indeed, are the theoretical con- 
clusions other than those to which a similar study of other orders mig! 
not have equally led. The Oaks afford a very good occasion for the dis 
eussion of questions which press upon our attention, and perhaps they 
offer peculiarly good materials on account of the number of fossil species, 
econceived notions about species being laid aside, the specimens in 
hand were distributed, according to their obvious resemblances, Ito 
groups of apparently identical or “nearly identical forms, which were sé¥ 
erally examined and compared. Where specimens were few, on 
countries little explored, the _— was easy, but the conclusions a OF 
be seen, of small value. The fewer the materials, 
hood of forms intermediate aeiee any two, and—what ge not ap , 
sd senties upon the old law-maxim as Sonenne ae are readily 
nough defined. Where, however, specimens abound, as in the case the 
the Oaks of Europe, of the Orient, and of the United Sates of which 
imens amounted to hundreds, collected at different ages, in va 
spec 
localities, by botanists of all sorts of views and preiletine e 
were data fit to draw useful conclusions from ere, as DeC 
iantious, more varied than if a8 had observed a hundred times ry had . ~ 
that vast herbaria, into which contributions from every source have ee ee 
for years, furnish a possible data,—at least are far better than a0Y 
e amou sonal herborization,—for the comparative en 
of related forms ett over wide tracts of territory. But as the ce 
* A name which, at the close of his poker, Rn ors e proposes for the study | 4 
the succession of organized nena, 20 mprehend, therefore, palaontoiy and 
ponmaaa under what is called i ‘eal and zoology,—the whole lor = 
parallel to hi sta 
sais ta former, to that of nized beings, as respects origin, 
«We [with the word, notwithstanding the eee 
} ontology, the science of being, has an hive 
existence,—i, ¢., is a synonym or ® deparieen 
