166 IHK AMERICAX HOTAXIST 



and thus their movement seems to be one of self preservation. 

 The analogy between animal and vegetable life is further 

 demonstrated by the well known fact that while some creatures 

 such as llic owl and cat, sleep during the day. and remain 

 awake at night, certain plants do the same thing. There are 

 plants which close at nine o'clock in the morning and open 

 at evening time. Every hour of the day has s<:)me particular 

 plant which shuts itself up, lience the idea of the flower dial 

 by means of which the hour of the day can be told with a re- 

 markable accuracy. Some plants shut themselves up in the 

 daytime and flower at night. It is said that Linnaeus used to 

 go out in his garden at night with a latern to have the oppor- 

 tunity of witnessing this remarkable peculiarity in the plants 

 in which it is exhibted. 



THE RESULT OF DEVELOPMENTS 



Thus one may see that the movements of plants are very 

 com[)lex. A casual observation leads one to assume that their 

 movements are very primary and seemingly of little import- 

 ance to the organism, but upon more complete observations the 

 reverse of this is found to be true. Their movements are 

 extremely intricate and regular, having a direct bearing on 

 the well-being of the plant. It is probable that we have by 

 no means observed all the movements and undoubtedly as the 

 field of biology enlarges and becomes more and more closely 

 related to plant psvchology, new movements will be found to 

 exi.st and the old movements shown to have greater bearing on 

 the life of the plant. 



The responses to a stimulus, while it may be highly 

 efificient to the plant, is blindly invarial)le and not alterable 

 for particular conditions. There is no sign of an attempt to 

 correlate stimuli and respond in a manner which would be best 

 for any particular combination. In this respect, animals have 



