STUDY XI. 123 



flowers lofe their internal curves in hcrbaries. I 

 believe thefe confonancies to be general ; I pre- 

 fume not, however, to aflert, that they admit of 

 no exceptions. Nature may deviate from this or- 

 der, in fome fpecies, for reafons which I know not. 

 It cannot be too frequently repeated ; She has no 

 general and unvarying Law, except the accom- 

 modation of beings endowed with fenfibility. The 

 relations jufl now fuggefted, between the curve of 

 the brim and that of the petal, feem, beiide, to be 

 founded on this univerfal Law, as they prefent 

 conformities of fuch agreeable approximation. 



The petals appear to fuch a degree deftined to 

 warm the parts of fecundation, that Nature has 

 placed a circle of them around mod compound 

 flowers, which are themfelves aggregations of fmall 

 tubes, infinite in number, that form fo many 

 particular flowers, or, if you will, flowrets. This 

 is obvioufly remarkable in the petals which fur- 

 round the difks of dailies and fun-flowers. They 

 are likewifc to be met with around mod of the 

 umbelliferous plants : though each flowret which 

 compofes them, has it's particular petals, there is a 

 circle of others ftill greater, which encompaiTes 

 their aflemblage, as you may fee in the flowers of 

 the daucus. 



Nature 



