STUDY XI. 26l 



But, in general, Nature has proportioned the du- 

 ration and the fecundity of plants to the demands 

 of animal life. A great many plants expire as foon 

 as they have yielded their feed, which they commit 

 to the winds. There are fome, fuch as mulh- 

 rooms, whofe exiftence is limited to a few days, as 

 the fpscies of flies which feed upon them. Others 

 retain their feeds all the Winter through, for the 

 jufe of the birds; fuch are the fruits of molt 

 Jhrubs. 



The fecundity of plants is by no means regu- 

 lated according to their fize ; but proportionally 

 to the fecundity of the animal fpecies which is to 

 feed upon them. The pannic, and the fmall mil- 

 let, and fome other gramineous plants, fo ufeful 

 to man and beaft, produce incomparably more 

 grains than many plants, both greater and fmaller 

 than themfelves. There are many herbs which 

 perpetuate themfelves, by their feeds, only once a 

 year ; but the chickweed renovates itfelf by it's 

 feeds, up to feven or eight times, without being 

 interrupted in the procefs even by Winter. It 

 produces ripe feeds within fix weeks from the 

 time of it's being fown. The capfule, which con- 

 tains them, then inverts itfelf, turning toward the 

 earth, and half opens, to leave them at liberty to 

 be carried away by the winds, and the rains, which 



s 3 fo\y 



