14 
REVIEWS. 
first authority in this branch of Botany. He was induced to visit this 
country by an invitation to lecture on the Algae, before the Lowell Institute, 
and by the opportunity thus afforded him of studying his favourite branch 
of science in a new region. After completing his lectures, he made a col¬ 
lection of the marine plants of our coast, and offered to furnish drawings 
of the genera and species of them, with detailed descriptions, free of all 
cost, provided the institution would bear the expense of publication. Upon 
the warm recommendation of some of the principal botanists of this coun¬ 
try, the liberal offer of Professor Harvey was accepted, and he is now (Jan. 
1, 1851) engaged in making with his own hand the drawings upon stone. 
The whole work, besides the time expended in collecting the specimens, 
will occupy more than a year. This voluntary contribution to knowledge, 
from a man of science, may surprise those whose minds are not liberalized 
by philosophical pursuits, and who cannot conceive any object in labour 
unconnected with pecuniary gain” (Fifth Report , 1851). We have 
transcribed this paragraph entire, as it tells officially the circumstances un¬ 
der which the present memoirs were composed. For the task thus gra¬ 
tuitously undertaken, Dr. Harvey was peculiarly fitted ; for many years he 
had turned his attention to the study of those lowest and simplest forms of 
vegetable organization—the Algae; and in addition, as the keeper of an 
extensive herbarium, he had constant access to specimens collected in every 
quarter of the globe, and was thus enabled to compare the almost incon¬ 
ceivable varieties of form so often calculated to mislead the unwary. The 
memoirs before us are the two first portions of this work, and are issued 
by the Smithsonian Institution, in a style fully equal to any work on the 
Algae already published. For the accuracy of the details, we need only 
again state that the plates are all drawn on stone by Dr. Harvey himself. 
The portions already published embrace the Melanosperms and Rhodosperms, 
and will be followed by a third part, descriptive of the Chlorosperms, with 
an appendix of such species as may have been forwarded to the author since 
the publication of the previous parts. When speaking of the operations 
of the Smithsonian Institution, we omitted to state, that memoirs submitted 
to the “ Board of Regents” for publication, are by them referred to compe¬ 
tent judges before acceptance. In the case of the present, the judges were 
Professor J. W. Bailey, and Dr. Asa Gray. 
Before entering on the subject of the Algae, found on the northern shores 
of North America, Dr. Harvey has prefixed an introduction, in which the 
peculiarities of this class of plants are ably considered, under the heads of 
root, frond, colour, fructification, movements of Algae, habitat, geographical 
distribution, directions for collecting and preserving specimens, and uses of 
