152 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



remains in the cavity of the leaves of the dipfacus 

 never can get down to the root of the plant, for it 

 is detained there, as at the bottom of a vafe. It 

 would not even be proper for moiftening it, for 

 Pliny infifts that it is brackifh. The birch-wort, 

 which grows in the trembling and frothy marfhes 

 of Canada, carries, at it's bafe, two leaves, formed 

 like the halves of a trumpet fawed afunder length- 

 wife. They are both concave, but have, at the 

 extremity that is fartheft from the plant, a kind of 

 bill, fhaped like a fpout. The water which re- 

 mains in the receivers of thefe aquatic plants, is, 

 perhaps, deftined to fupply drink to the fmall 

 birds, which fometimes find themfelves not a little 

 embarrafTed how to come at it, in the time of 

 inundations. 



It is neceffary carefully to make a difiinclion 

 between the elementary, and the relative, charac- 

 ters of plants. Nature obliges the man who flu- 

 dies her, not to hold to external appearances, and, 

 in order to form hisunderflanding, (he makes him 

 rife from the means which fhe employs, to the 

 ends which (lie propofes. If certain aquatic plants 

 feem to prefent, in their foliage, fome of the cha- 

 racters of mountaineers, there are upon the moun- 

 tains, fome which feem to prefent characters fimi- 

 lar to thofe of the waters ; fuch, for example, is 

 She broom. It bears leaves fo fmall, and fo few 



in 



