STUDY XI. ' I35 



that thcfe fpherically formed petals have, at their 

 focufes, the antheras of the flower fupported on 

 fibrets, longer or ftiorter, as the effect intended 

 may require. It deferves farther to be remarked, 

 that each petal is adapted to it's particular anthera, 

 fometimes to two, or even to three : fo that the 

 number of petals in a flower divides, almoft al- 

 ways, exactly that of the anthera?. As to the pe- 

 tals, they fcarcely ever exceed the number of five, 

 in rofe-formed flowers, as if Nature had defigned 

 to exprefs, in that, the number of the five terms 

 of elementary progreflion, of which this beautiful 

 form is the harmonic exprefîîon. 



Spherical reverberating flowers are very com- 

 mon in our temperate climates. They do not 

 throw back the whole reflection of their difks on 

 the anther«e, like the convolvulus, but only the 

 fifth part, becaufe each of their petals has it's par- 

 ticular focus. The rofe-formed flower is fpread 

 over mod fruit-trees, as the apple, the pear, the 

 peach, the plumb, the apricot, and the like ; and 

 over a great part of our fhrubbery and herbage, 

 fuch as the black and white-thorn, the bramble, 

 the anemone, and many others, moll of which 

 produce for Man a nutritious fruit, and which 

 flower in the month of May. To this form may 

 be like wife referred fuch as are fphero'idal ; the lily 

 of the valley, for example. 



k 4 This 



