180 



the cultivation of which Mr. Mutis introduced 

 at Mariquita* are however less aromatic than 

 the cinnamon of Ceylon, and would still be so, 

 even if dried and prepared by similar processes. 



Every hemisphere produces plants of a differ- 

 ent species ; and it is not by the diversity of 

 climates that we can attempt to explain, why 

 equinoctial Africa has no laurineae, and the New 

 World no heaths ; why the calceolarise are found 

 only in the southern hemisphere ; why the birds 

 of the continent of India glow with colours less 

 splendid than the birds of the hot parts of Ame- 

 rica ; finally, why the tiger is peculiar to Asia, 

 and the ornithorhincus to New-Holland. In the 

 vegetable as well as in the animal kingdom, 

 the causes of the distribution of the species are 

 among the number of mysteries, which natural 

 philosophy cannot reach. This science is not 

 occupied in the investigation of the origin of 

 beings, but of the laws according to which they 

 are distributed on the globe. It examines the 

 things that are, the coexistence of vegetable 

 and animal forms in each latitude, at different 

 heights, and at different degress of temperature; 

 it studies the relations under which particular 

 organizations are more vigorously developed, 

 multiplied, or modified ; but it approaches not 

 problems, the solution of which is impossible^ 



* A town of New Grenada, west of Honda. 



