534 THE UNIVERSE. 



sometimes swathed in small bandages and solemnly depos- 

 ited in the sarcophagus. The daring genius of naturalists 

 sought to pry into these vegetable mummies, in order to see 

 if they did not yet retain some spark of life after so many 

 ages of sleep. And we are told that these corpses of roots, 

 withdrawn from their double prison and placed in a favor- 

 ing soil, quickly vegetated again, becoming decked with 

 flowers and fruits. 



