Cyma, a cyme, or stalks springing from a common centre, and afterwards irregularly subdivided, as in the laurustinus and elder. 9. Paniculus, panicle, a loose subdivided bunch of flowers, as in the oat. 10. Thyrsus, a bunch, is a very dense panicle inclining to an oval figure, as in the lilac.

VII. FRUCTIFICATION. Under this term are comprehended not only the parts of the fruit, but also those of the flower, which last are indispensable for bringing the former to perfection. The parts of fructification are, 1. Culy, a flower-cup, or external covering of the flower: to which belong the perianthium; involucrum; amentum or cat-kin; spatha, or sheath; gluma, or husk; perichotium or scaly sheath; and volva, the wrapper. 2. Corolla, is situated within the calyx, and consists in general of the coloured leaves of a flower;-the petalum, or petal, and the nectarium, or nectary, belong to the corolla. 3. Stamina, the stamens, are various in number, in different flowers, and are situated withinside of the corolla. The stamen consists of a filamentum or filament, and the anthera or anther. The cells of the latter contain the pollen or fecundating dust. 4. Pistilla, the pistils stand in the centre of the circle formed by the stamens, and consist of the germen or rudiments of the future fruit or seed; the style, which elevates the stigma; and the stigma which is destined to receive the pollen. 5. Pericarpium, the seedvessel is formed from the germen enlarged, and is of the following kinds: a capsular or capsule; siliqua, or pod; legumen or legume, the fruit of the pea-kind; drupa, stone-frait; pomum, an apple; bacca, a berry; and strobilus, a cone. 6. Semina, the seeds are composed of the embryo or germ, called by Linnæus, corculum, or little heart; the cotyledones, or seed-lobes almost universally, two in number; * albumen, the white; vitellus, the yolk; testa, the skin; and hilum, the scar. Seeds are often accompanied by appendages or accessory parts; as, pelli

* M. Jussieu, a French botanist of the first eminence, has divided all plants into acotyledones, or such as are destitute of a cotyledon; monocotyledones, such as have one cotyledon; and dicotyledones, such as have two.

cula, the pellicle; arillus, the tunic; pappus, the seeddown; cauda, a tail; rostrum, a beak. To which may be added various spines, hooks, scales, and crests, generally serving to attach such seeds as are furnished with them, to the rough coats of animals, and thus promote their dispersion. 7. Receptaculum, the receptacle, is the. base which receives the other parts of the fructification. It is proper when it supports the parts of a single fructification only; when it is a base to which only the parts of the flower are joined, and not the germen, it is called a receptacle of the flower; in this case the germen being placed below the reseptacle of the flower, has a base of its own, which is called the receptacle of the fruit, and it is termed a receptacle of the seeds, when it is a base to which the seeds are fastened within the pericarpium. It is called common when it supports a head of flowers.

VIII. CLASSIFICATION. The system of Linnæus, now generally acknowledged and adopted, is founded on the number, situation, and proportion of the stamens and pistils, whose uses and structure have been just explained. The following twenty-four classes owe their distinctions principally to the stamens. 1. Monandria, one stamen. 2. Diandria, two stamina. 3. Triandria, three. 4. Tetrandria, four. 5. Pentandria, five. 6. Hexandria, six. 7. Heptandria, seven. 8. Octandria, eight. 9. Enneandria, nine. 10. Decundria, ten. 11. Dodecandria, twelve. 12. Icosandria, twenty or more stamina, inserted into the calyx. 13. Polyanrida, all above twenty inserted into the receptacle. 14. Didynamia, four stamina,- two long and two short. 15. Tetradynamia, six stamina, four long and two short. 16. Monadelphia, the stamina united into one body by the filaments. 17. Diadelphia, the stamina united into the bodies by the filaments. 18. Polyadelphia, the stamina united into three or more bodies by the filaments. 19. Syngenesia, anthers united into a tube. 20. Gynandria, stamens inserted either upon the style or germen.. 21. Monoeciu, stamens and pistils in separate flowers, but on the same plant. 22. Dioecia, stamens and pistils, like the former in separate flowers, but on two separate plants. 23. Polygamia, stamens and pistils

separate in some flowers, united in others, either on one, two, or three distinct plants. 24. Cryptogamia, stamens and pistils, either not well ascertained, or not to be numbered with certainty.

The orders, or subdivisions of the classes are generally marked by the number of the pistils, or by some other circumstances equally intelligible. The names of these as well of the classes, are both of Greek derivation, and designate the functions of the respective

organs.

6

The student in botany has a rich source of innocent pleasure. He would find himself, says Dr. Smith, neither solitary nor desolate, had he no other companion than a mountain daisy,' that modest crimson-tipped flower,' so sweetly sung by one of nature's own poets. The humblest weed or moss will ever afford him something to examine or illustrate, and a great deal to admire. Introduce him to the magnificence of a tropical forest, the enamelled meadows of the Alps, or the wonders of New Holland, and his thoughts will not dwell much upon riches or literary honours. Whether (adds the same author) we scrutinize the damp recesses of woods in the wintry months, when the numerous tribe of mosses are displaying their minute, but highly interesting structure;-whether we walk forth in the early spring, when the ruby tips of the hawthorn bush, give the first sign of its approaching vegetation, or a little after, when the violet, welcomes us with its scent, and the primrose with its beauty;--we shall always find something to study and admire in their characters. The yellow blossoms of the morning that fold up their delicate leaves as the day advances,-others that court and sustain the full blaze of noon-and the pale night-scented tribe which expand and diffuse their sweet fragrance towards evening,all have peculiar charms. The more we study the works of the Creator, the more wisdom, beauty, and harmony, become manifest, even to our limited apprehensions-and while we admire, it is impossible not to adore.

Soft roll your incense, herbs, and fruits and flowers,
In mingled clouds, to Him, whose sun exalts,
Whose breath perfumes you, and whose pencil paints.

Select Books on Botany.

Dr. Smith's Introduction to Physiological and Systematical Botany, 8vo. with numerous plates, to which this chapter is indebted. It is an excellent work. Wakefield's Botany, 12mo. Milne's Botanical Dictionary, avo. Hull's Botany, 2 vols., 8vo. Lee's Introduction to Botany, a new and improved edition, svo. Curtis' Lectures, 8vo. The Botanical Magazine, svo. originally begun by Mr. Curtis, and continued by Dr. Sims, may be considered as the foundation of the present improved state of botanical knowledge. Sowerby's Botany,

8vo.

CHAP IIL-ANIMAL KINGDOM.

SEVERAL scientific and ingenious classifications or arrangements of the animal kingdom into classes, orders, genera, and species, have been successively adopted; among which, that of M. CUVIER, the celebrated French anatomist, must be allowed to possess a very high degree of merit. Though the arrangement of M. Cuvier evinces great anatomical precision, and the highest philosophical knowledge of animals, yet, upon the whole, it has a com plicated and forbidding appearance to a general reader, and is, of course, less immediately attractive than the more simple arrangement of Linnæus, which divides the animal kingdom into six classes;—mammalia, aves, amphibia, pisces, insecta, vermes, or such as suckle their young; birds; creatures living equally on laud, or in water; fishes; insects; and worns. Each of these classes is subdivided into orders, genera, species, and varieties of those species. But, as we have commenced with the unorganized departments of nature, we shall reverse this arrangement; beginning with the lowest stages of animal existence, and ascending the scale of being till we arrive

at man.

CLASS I. Zoophytes and Worms.

This class, vermes, is divided by Linnæus into mollusca, vermes, zoophyta and animalculi infusoria; or, softbodied animals, plant-animals, worms, and animalcules of infusions. Nearly all the animals of the class vermes, have but slow locomotive powers. Many of thein have arterial and venous vessels, in which the blood undergoes a real

circulation; but these are by no means common to the whole class. In some of them eyes and ears are very perceptible, while others seem to enjoy only the senses of taste and touch, which are never wanting. Many have no distinct head, and most of them are without feet, The whole of these creatures are very tenacious of life. In most of them, parts that have been destroyed, will afterwards be re-produced.

1. ZOOPHYTA, zoophytes, or plant-animals, seem to hold a middle station between vegetables and animals. Most of them deprived of locomotion, are fixed by stems that take root in the crevices of rocks, among sand, or in other situations. The genus hydra or polype first deserves our notice. These curious animals are found adhering to the stems of aquatic plants, or to the under-surfaces of the leaves. The species are multiplied by vegetation, one or two or even more young ones emerging gradually from the sides of the parent animal; and these young are frequently again prolific, so that it is not uncommon to see two or three generations at once in the same polype. But the most curious particular respecting this animal is, its multiplication by dissection. It may be cut in every direction, and even into very minute divisions, and not only the parent stock will remain uninjured, but every section will become a perfect animal. Even when turned inside out, it suffers no material injury: for in this state it will soon begin to take food, and to perform all its other animal functions. When one polype is introduced by the tail into another's body, the two heads unite and form one individual.

The hard or horny zoophytes are known by the name of corals, and are equally of an animal nature with the polype. The whole coral continuing to grow as an animal, and to form by secretion, the strong or stony part of the coral, which at once may be considered as its bone and its habitation, and which it has no power of leaving.* Some of the coral tribe have their animal part approach

* Our hills are in many places full of them, and some rocks are entirely of their formation. Many seas are becoming every year more difficult to navigate, being nearly choaked up by the habitations of animals, almost too small for human perception.