100 
THE PRINCIPLES OF BOTANY. 
but gradually grew worse ; the discharge of alimentary 
matters from the opening increased daily, and the effusion 
into the areolar tissue became diffused on all sides of the 
hernial sac. The animal died on the 27th. Unfortunately 
I was prevented making a post-mortem examination, so as to 
speak of the general condition of the intestines, but this 
can be easily understood. 
I give the above case not because umbilical hernia is 
unfrequent, but on account of its leading to rupture of intes¬ 
tine—a termination which I believe to be exceedingly rare. 
The length of time the animal lived after the rupture had 
taken place, viz. from December 11th to December 27th, 
is also worthy of note. 
THE PRINCIPLES OF BOTANY. 
By Professor James Beckman, F.G.S., F.L.S., &c. &c. 
[Continuedfrom p. 14.) 
The next group which we have to review forms so natural 
an assemblage of plants that we deem Professor Bindley to be 
right in separating them under the term— 
Gymnogens. 
Of this class the learned Professor gives the following 
description: <c The plants comprehended in this class have 
nearly an equal relation to flowering and flowerless plants. 
With the former they agree in habit in the presence of sexes, 
and in their vascular tissue being complete; with Ferns 
and Club-mosses among the latter ; some also accord in habit, 
in the peculiar gyrate venation, of the leaves of some Cycadae, 
in their spiral vessels being imperfectly formed, and in the 
sexes being less complete than in other flowering plants ; the 
females wanting a pericarpial covering, and receiving fertili¬ 
sation directly through the foramen of the ovule, without the 
intervention of style or stigma, and the males sometimes con¬ 
sisting of leaves imperfectly contracted, an anther bearing a 
number of pollen-cases upon their surface. So great is the 
resemblance between Club-mosses and certain Conifers, that 
I know of no obvious external character except size by which 
they can be distinguished. Gymnogens are known from 
most other Vasculares by the vessels of their wood having 
large apparent perforations or discs. It is not, however, on 
