130 
REVIEW. 
required no small portion of a person^ life to properly judge, and digest * 
their contents ,* we, therefore, are inclined to think, this excellent “Introduction,” 
will, in a little time become the text book of all Botanists, nearly to the exclusion 
of every other. 
The author has divided his work into seven parts called hooks, the first of 
which treats on Organography, or an explanation of the exact structure of plants 
Under this head we will just notice a remark, page 21. “ An irritability of a 
curious kind has been noticed by Malpighi in the fibre of a spiral vessel in 
herbaceous plants and some trees, especially in the winter. A beautiful sight may 
be observed, by tearing gently asunder a portion of a branch or stem, still green> 
so as to separate the coils of the spires ; the fibre will be found to have a peris- 
tallic motion which lasts for a considerable time. An appearance of the same 
nature has been described by Mr. Don, in the bark of Urtica nivea.” Book 2nd 
—Vegetable Physiology, or the history of the vital phenomena that have been 
observed both in plants in general, and in particular species, and also in each of 
their organs taken separately. Under this head, page 250, when speaking on 
leaves, he says, “ respiration takes place by the power the leaves possess of in¬ 
spiring and expiring oxygen, and decomposing carbonic acid. They have been 
found to vitiate the atmosphere at night, by inhaling oxygen abundantly, and 
exhaling a small quantity of carbonic acid; aud to restore the air to its piirity in 
the suns rays, by decomposing their cai’bonic acid, and parting with their oxygen.” 
Book 3rd.—Taxonomy, or some account of the principles of classification ; 
comprehending not only an account of the various methods of arrangement em¬ 
ployed by Botanists in their systematic works, but an explanation of the princi¬ 
ples by which the limits of genera and species are determined. After this comes 
Book 4th—Glossology, or as it was formerly called, Terminology, being an ex¬ 
planation of the terms used in Botany. Book 5th—Phytography, or an exposi¬ 
tion of the rules to be observed in describing and naming plants. Page 440, “ in 
drawing up a description, care must be taken that every term is used in its strict 
sense; that all is perspicuous and free from ambiguity, and that the different 
parts are described in their just order, beginning with the root and ending with 
the fruit.” 
Book 6th—Geography, or a summary of the little which is known of the 
laws that regulate the distribution of plants upon the surface of the earth. 
Finally, the book concludes with an exposition of what is called Morphology— 
(Book 7) or the metamorphosis of the organs of plants; a subject which is in 
the vegetable, what comparative anatomy is, in the animal kingdom. Thus far 
have we been led in describing what appears to us an admirable work, and we 
trust from what has been stated, our readers will be able to judge of its merits. 
We assure them we conceive it worthy of being generally recommended. 
