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Darwin on Climbing Plants.-Messrs. D. Appleton & Co., New-York, publish the "Movements and Habits of Climbing Plants," by CHARLES DARWIN, F.R.S., &c., being the re-publication, with corrections and additions, of an essay first published In the Journal of the Linnean Society, in 1865. Of course, like nearly everything from the pen of the same author, it is prepared with the view of "illustrating the principle of the gradual evolution of species." But it gives the results of many careful and painstaking researches into the curious phenomena of twining plants, leaf-climbers, tendril-bearers and hook or root-climbers –to follow the classification employed. The number of different plants observed is very large. Among them the preface alludes to two or three as of especial interest.

One of these is a variety of the Bignonla, B. capreolata,, the tendrils of which seem to have, an almost instinctive power of subserving- the objects for which they are produced. They turn invariably away from the light, as proved by repeated experiments with plants in the house window, pointing to the darker part of the room or to any object intercepting- the light-thus seeming able to direct their own course to a source of support. More than this, they possess peculiar powers of adapting themselves to the character of the support when found winding around it if smooth and of suitable size, creeping into its crevices if fissured, seizing on to minute points if rough, and secreting a resinous adhesive matter which will grasp and securely hold any fibrous substance that may promise to afford support.

Another curious plant is the Cobaea scandens of the florists –its tendrils are so Jong and so extremely sensitive, bending almost immediately toward the touched side. But we have not space for farther examples; suffice it to say that one whose attention had never been called to the habits of these plants would scarcely believe how wide and interesting a field for observation they afford. The most recent memoirs on the subject, by German observers, attribute all the movements of tendrils to rapid growth-along one side, but this explanation is considered inadequate by Mr. Darwin, to whom we are indebted for so much that is unseen and unsuspected by observers generally, that it becomes rather a pleasure than otherwise to wonder over the striking instances of adaptation and evolution be finds with every new excursion into the realms of Nature, without surprise that they were never revealed to those who looked with other eyes and other theories to maintain.