was scarcely heard of by any one else; and out of botany ho was unknown to science except as the discov erer of the Brownian motion of minute particles, which discovery was promulgated in a privately-printed pamphlet that few have ever seen. Although Mr. Darwin had been for twenty years well and widely known for his "Naturalist's Journal," his works on "Coral Isl unds," on "Volcanic Islands," and especially for his researches on the Barnacles, it was not till about fifteen years ago that his name became popularly famous. Ever since no scientific name has been so widely spoken. Many others have had hypotheses or systems named after them, but no one else that we know of a department of bibliography. The nature of his latest researches accounts for most of the difference, but not for all. The Origin of Species is a fascinating topic, having interests and connections with every branch of science, natural and moral. The investigation of recondite aflinities is very dry and special; its questions, processes, and results alike—although in part generally presentable in the shape of morphology-are mainly, like the higher mathematics, unintelligible except to those who make them a subject of serious study. They are especially so when presented in Mr. Brown's manner. Perhaps no naturalist ever recorded the results of his investigations in fewer words and with greater precision than Robert Brown: certainly no one ever took more pains to state nothing beyond the precise point in question. Indeed, we have sometimes fancied that he preferred to enwrap rather than to explain his meaning; to put it into such a form that, unless you follow Solomon's injunction and dig for the wisdom as for hid treasure, you may hardly apprehend

it until you have found it all out for yourself, whon you will have the satisfaction of perceiving that Mr. Brown not only knew all about it, but had put it upon record. Very different from this is the way in which Mr. Darwin takes his readers into his con• fidence, freely displays to them the sources of his information, and the working of his mind, and even shares with them all his doubts and misgivings, while in a clear exposition he sets forth the reasons which have guided him to his conclusions. These you may hesitate or decline to adopt, but you feel sure that they have been presented with perfect fairness; and if you think of arguments against them you may be confident that they have all been duly considered before.

The sagacity which characterizes these two naturalists is seen in their success in finding decisive instances, and their sure insight into the meaning of things. As an instance of the latter on Mr. Darwin's part, and a justification of our venture to comparo him with the facile princeps botanicorum, we will, in conclusion, allude to the single instance in which they took the same subject in hand. In his papers on tho organs and modes of fecundation in Orchidew und Asclepiadea, Mr. Brown refers more than once to C. K. Sprengel's almost forgotten work, shows how the structure of the flowers in these orders largely requires the agency of insects for their fecundation, and is aware that "in Asclepiadew. . . . the insect so readily passes from one corolla to another that it not unfrequently visits every flower of the unbel." llo must also have contemplated the transport of pollen from plant to plant by wind and insects; and wo know from another source that he looked upon Spren

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gol's ideas as far from fantastic. Yot, instead of taking the singlo forward stop which now sooms sỌ obvious, he even hazarded the conjecture that the insect-forms of some orchideous flowers are intended to deter rather than to attract insects. And so the explanation of all these and other extraordinary structures, as well as of the arrangement of blossoms in general, and even the very meaning and need of sexual propagation, were left to be supplied by Mr. Darwin. The aphorism “Naturo abhors a vacuum" is a characteristic specimen of the science of the middle nges. The aphorism "Nature abhors close fertilization," and the demonstration of the principle, belong to our age, and to Mr. Darwin. To have originated this, and also the principle of natural selection-the truthfulness and importance of which are evident the moment it is apprehended—and to have applied these principles to the system of Nature in such a manner as to make, within a dozen years, a deeper impression upon natural history than has been made since Linmus, is ample title for one man's fame.

Thero is no need of our giving any account or of estimating the importance of such works as the "Ori gin of Species by means of Natural Selection," the "Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication," the "Descent of Man, and Selection in relation to Sex," and the "Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals"-a series to which we may, hope other volumes may in due time be added. We would rather, if space permitted, attempt an analysis of the less known, but not less masterly, subsidiary essays, upon the various arrangements for insuring cross-fer

tilization in flowers, for the climbing of plants, and the like. These, as we have heard, may before long bo reprinted in a volume, and supplemented by some long-pending but still unfinished investigations upon the action of Dionea and Drosera--a capital subject for Mr. Darwin's handling.

A propos to these papers, which furnish excellent illustrations of it, let us recognizo Darwin's great sor vice to natural science in bringing back to it Teleolo gy; so that, instead of Morphology versus Teleology, we shall have Morphology wedded to Teleology. To many, no doubt, evolutionary Teleology comes in such a questionable shape as to seem shorn of all its good. ness; but they will think better of it in time, when their ideas become adjusted, and they see what an impetus the new doctrines have given to investigation. They are much mistaken who supposo that Darwinism is only of speculativo importance, and perhaps transient interest. In its working applica tions it has proved to be a new power, eminently practical and fruitful.

And here, again, we are bound to note a striking contrast to Mr. Brown, greatly as we revere his memory. He did far less work than was justly to be expected from him. Mr. Darwin not only points out the road, but labors upon it indefatigably and unceasingly. A most commendable noblesse oblige assures us that he will go on while strength (would we could add health) remains. The vast amount of such work he has already accomplished might overtax the powers of the strongest. That it could have been done at all under constant infirm health is most wonderful.

X.

INSECTIVOROUS PLANT

(Tun Nation, April 9 and 9, 1876.)

THAT animals should feed upon plants is natural and normal, and the reverse seems impossible. But the adage, “Natura non agit saltatim," has its appliention even here. It is the naturalist, rather than Nature, that draws hard and fast lines evorywhere, and marks out abrupt boundaries whero sho shades off with gradations. However opposite the parts which animals and vegetables play in the economy of the world as the two opposed kingdoms of organic Nature, it is becoming more and more obvious that they are not only two contiguous kingdoms, but are parts of one whole-antithetical and complementary to each other, indeed; but such "thin partitions do the bounds divido" that no definitions yet framed hold good without exception. This is a world of transition in more senses than is commonly thought; and one of the lessons which the philosophical naturalist learns, or has to learn, is, that differences the most wide and real in the main, and the most essentiul, may nevertheless be here and there connected or bridged over by gradations. There is a limbo filled with organisms which never riso high enough in the