462 Natural-Historical Collections. 
upon a question which is far from being cleared. The academician entered 
into some details, from which it resulted that, as he thought, generations termed 
spontaneous differ not essentially from those which occur in ordinary cases from 
the co-operation of two individuals. Successive generations performed by certain 
beings, after a single fecundation, approach still nearer to spontaneous genera-- 
tions ; these latter instances present the phenomena in all its simplicity. The 
preliminary conditions, said M. Geoffroy, are perhaps instantaneous, subtile, I 
will not say unobservable, but at present unobserved. 
Respiration of Vegetables—M. Adolphe Brongniart, on the 18th of last 
month, read to the Academy of Sciences, a memoir on the structure of leaves, 
and on their relations to the respiration of vegetables in air and in water. 
The beautiful conclusion resulted from his experiments, that the leaves, the 
respiratory organs of plants, according as they have to respire gaseous air, or air 
dissolved in water, undergo modifications analogous to those which the respiratory 
organs of animals experience in the same circumstances, and according to which 
these organs are designated by the names of Jungs and of branchie. 
Phrenology.—Opinions of “ the Great in Science and Philosophy.” —So much 
uncandid outcry has been raised against phrenology, under the plea that no men 
of science have come forward in its support, that, (though we hold this argu- 
ment to be ridiculous, until it be shown that men of science have duly examined 
its deserts,) we have been anxious to assemble the remarks which have at dif- 
ferent times fallen from men professedly scientific. 
We think it necessary to say that, possibly for want of practical study, we are 
not ourselves convinced of the truth of phrenology; but we consider that re- 
spect, at least, should be paid to the opinions of men who, in other matters, are 
characterized for good sense. In proof of our entire neutrality, we cannot bet- 
ter commence our collections than by giving, in authorized language, the sen- 
timents of Dr. Hope, professor of chemistry in this University,__the remarks of a 
sound thinker,—but whether founded upon the requisite examination or not, we 
are unprepared to state. : 
On the Ist of last month, the second part of a paper on the fundamental prin- 
ciples of phrenology, was read before the Royal Society of Hdinburgh, by Sir G. 
Mackenzie. Dr. Hope in the Chair. 
<< Dr. Hope, on the conclusion of the paper, stated that he thought himself at 
liberty to return thanks to Sir Geo. Mackenzie, for the pains he had taken to lay 
before the Society, a view of the fundamental principles of a doctrince which Sir 
George thought well founded and highly important to the welfare of mankind, 
and in particular to the rising generation. That as Sir George had availed him- 
self of that opportunity of recommending to his hearers, to make themselves ac- 
quainted with the doctrine by reading the works of Gall and others, he, in his turn, 
would use the freedom of recommending to Sir George, and other phrenologists, 
to direct their attention to that view of phrenology which alone he considered as 
philosophical. Every person, the Professor observed, who is in the smallest degree 
acquainted with the anatomy of the brain, must know that there lie deep seated a 
very large number of distinct organs, totally different in appearance, substance, 
and structure; and as different organs are provided for each of the external 
senses, it is extremely probable that each of these organs has a particular share in 
the general mental operations of the brain assigned to it ;—that it is a study truly 
philosophical, and strictly physiological, to investigate the special use of each of 
these organs, and the particular mental function to which each is subservient ;— 
that much benefit had accrued to medical science and to mankind, from investi- 
gating the structure and uses of the other organs of the body—as, for example, 
the heart—and that, without doubt, both physical and metaphysical science 
would profit greatly from successful inquiries into the uses of these multifarious 
and finely constructed organs in the interior of the brain;—that the phrenolo- 
gists of the present day were not in the right path, and had not advanced a single 
