I36 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



This form, which is the harmonic exprefiion of 

 the five elementary forms, was admirably adapted 

 to a temperature like ours, which is itfelf the pro- 

 portional medium between that of the Icy and of 

 the Torrid Zone. As fpherical reflectors collect 

 a great quantity of rays at their focufes, their ac- 

 tion is very powerful, but, at the fame time, of 

 very tranfient duration. It is well known that no- 

 thing fades more quickly than a rofe. 



Rofe-formed flowers are very rare between 

 the Tropics, efpecially thofe whofe petals are 

 white. They thrive only under the (hade of trees. 

 I have known many of the inhabitants of the Ifle 

 of France make fruitlefs efforts to raife ftrawber- 

 rics there; but one of them, who lived, indeed, 

 in an elevated part of the Ifland, found means 

 of procuring them in great plenty, by planting 

 his beds under trees, in ground but half-cleared. 



As a compenfation for this, Nature has multi- 

 plied, in warm countries, papilionaceous, or legu- 

 minous flowers. The leguminous flower is entirely 

 oppofitc to the rofe-formed. It ufually has five 

 rounded petals, like the other : but inftead of be- 

 ing difpofed round the centre of the flower, in or- 

 der to reverberate thither the rays of the Sun, they 

 are, on the contrary, folded inward, a r ound the 

 anthers, for the purpofe of (heltering them. You 



diftinguifh 



