208 PHYSIOLOGY OF 



of the Stamens and Pistils, as will hereafter be describ- 

 ed ; nor is this opinion unfounded. 



Sprengel has ingeniously demonstrated, in some hun- 

 dreds of instances, how the Corolla serves as an attraction 

 to insects, indicating by various marks, sometimes per- 

 haps by its scent, where they may find honey, and ac- 

 commodating them with a convenient resting-place or 

 shelter while they extract it. This elegant and ingen- 

 ious theory receives confirmation from almost every 

 flower we examine. Proud man is disposed to think 

 that 



« Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,", 



because he has not deigned to explore it ; but we find 

 that even the beauties of the most sequestered wilder- 

 ness are not made in vain. They have myriads of ad- 

 mirers, attracted by their charms, and rewarded with 

 their treasures, which very treasures would be as use- 

 less as the gold of a miser to the plant itself, were they 

 not thus the means of bringing insects about it. The 

 services rendered by such visitants will be understood 

 when we have described all the parts of a flower. 



Besides the above purposes, I have always conceived 

 the Corolla to fulfil some important oflice to the essen- 

 tial parts of the flower with respect to air, and especially 

 light. (105) It not only presents itself in a remarkable 



(105) [The ingenious, but often visionary St. Pierre supposes 

 the corolla to regulate the sun's influence on the fructification 

 of the plant, by reverberating the solar rays upon the anthers and 

 stigma ; or in some instances by sheltering them from too intense 

 heat.] 



