STUDY XI. - II9 



and the wall gilly-flower. But fuch as blow at warm 

 feafons, and in warm fituations, as the cockle, the 

 wild poppy, and the blue-bottle, which grow in 

 Summer amongft the corn, are drefied in ftrong 

 colours, fuch as purple, deep red, and blue; for 

 thefe abforb the heat without greatly reflecting it. 



I do not know, however, that there are any 

 flowers entirely black ; for in that cafe, it's petals, 

 deftitute of all power of reflection, would be en- 

 tirely ufelefs. In general, of whatever colour a 

 flower may be, the under part of it's corolla, 

 which reflects the rays of the Sun, is of a mueh 

 paler tint than the reft. This is fo very remark- 

 able, that Botanifts, who generally confider the 

 colours of flowers as accidents merely, diftinguifh 

 it by the name of v.nguiculns (a little nail). The 

 unguicle is that with relation to the flower which 

 the belly is with relation to animals : it's fhade is 

 always clearer than that of the reft of the petal. 



The forms of flowers are no lefs adapted than 

 their colours to reflect the heat. Their corolla?, 

 divided into petals, are only an aflemblage of mir- 

 rors directed toward one focus. Of thefe they 

 have fometimes four, which are plain, as the flower 

 of the cole-wort in the cruciform ; or a complete 

 circle, as the daify in the clafs of radiated; or 



1 4 fpherical 



