MAGAZINE 



OF 



ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY. 



ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



I. — Historical Notice of Antoine Laurent de Jussieu. By M. Ad. 

 Brongniart. * 



The History of Science shows us that there are men who have 

 been occupied during their whole life with a single idea, but that, 

 an idea of great importance and fruitful in results — men who have 

 exercised, even by works of apparently less extent than those of 

 many other inquirers, a vital influence on the progress of science, 

 because the works which they produce are often the base of the edi- 

 fice which their contemporaries and successors only serve to complete. 



Such may be said to be the case with the individual to whose 

 memory the following pages are devoted ; an individual celebrated 

 throughout the scientific world, and venerated by every one who 

 knew him. It may be affirmed that all his reputation was acquired 

 by the publication of a single volume : his preceding works were 

 only a prelude to this, and those that followed merely the develope- 

 ment of it ; and, notwithstanding their importance, every one will 

 acknowledge that they were not necessary to add to the fame of the 

 author of the Genera Piantarum secundum ordines naturales dispo- 

 sita. This unique volume contains the most profound exposition 

 of the •whole vegetable kingdom, and is as remarkable for the ex- 

 cellence of its principles as the perfection of its details. It is doubt- 

 less sufficient to confer on its author the high reputation which he 



* Translated from the Annates des Sciences Naturelles, Tom. septieme, Jan. 

 1837. 



VOL. II. NO. 10. U 



