Botany and Zoology. 75 



VI. Botany and Zoology. 



1. Recent advance in Vegetable Histology. (Second Paper). 

 A. Researches on the Comparative Anatomy of Malvacece, 

 JBombacece, Tiliacce, and Sterculiacece ; by A. Dumont, (Ann. 

 Sci. Nat. ser. VII, vi, p. 129.) — At the close of a notice of Hitze- 

 mann's examination of Ternstroemiacese and allied families, and 

 of Sanpe's paper on the suborders of Leguminosae, in the last 

 number of this Journal, attention was called to the value of even 

 the fragmentary and widely scattered results thus far obtained 

 in this field of investigation. Every contribution to this depart- 

 ment of study is a step nearer the position which must ultimately 

 be occupied by systematic Botany before a satisfactory and com- 

 prehensive survey can be made of its entire domain. The papers 

 of Chatin, Duval-Jouve, Bureau, and Vesque, have therefore a 

 substantial value not only as contributions to Histology, but to 

 classification as well. The same is true of the present paper by 

 Dumont. It is to be regretted that it is not more copiously illus- 

 trated, since only four plates are devoted to more than one hun- 

 dred pages of descriptive text. The general results reached by 

 the investigator are essentially as follows, — Malva, especially 

 Malva oxyacanthoides, realizes best the fundamental and primi- 

 tive type ; the secondary liber is Very clearly stratified ; its three 

 zones contain numerous normal mucilaginous elements, both in 

 the form of cells and of lysigenous receptacles. In plants of this 

 family the members which have the same morphological adapta- 

 tions have undergone similar modifications from the primordial 

 type, and different species in genera of this order may be ar- 

 ranged to constitute a descending scale of degradation. At cer- 

 tain points where systematic Botany is in doubt, the gaps may be 

 bridged over in this family by comparative histology. The 

 group of families above mentioned forms a compact alliance and 

 might be well placed under one natural order. Although the 

 author has presented his observations clearly, it does not appear 

 from such verification of his results as can be made by material 

 now at hand, that it would be possible to exclude from his recon- 

 structed order comprising the familes above mentioned, at least 

 two outlying ones : if these two must be admitted, it would be 

 difficult to say where our integration would or could be arrested. 



One is impressed during the examination of this subject by the 

 thought that a distinction like that which we make in the case of 

 the organs of the plant between the parts which are in use and 

 those which have lost or partially lost their office, should be fol- 

 lowed out in the elements of the tissues. The suggestion of this 

 which is given in the comparative Anatomy of Phanerogams and 

 Pteridophytes, by the lamented DeBary, has not been kept so 

 clearly in mind as it should have been, this is largely owing to 

 the acknowledged difficulties which its application presents. The 

 author of the paper under present consideration has unconsciously 



