STUDY I. 



89 



imported, fome years ago, from Bengal into Eng- 

 land. This plant moves, alternately, the two pen- 

 dent lobes which are attached to it's leaves, though 

 no exterior or apparent caufe contributes to this 

 fpecies of ofcillation. 



But, without going fo far in queft of wonders, 

 we iliall find, perhaps, in our common gardens, 

 appearances of Nature ftill more furprizing. We 

 /hall fea the pea, for example, pufhing out it*s 

 tendrils, precifely at the height where they begin 

 to ftand in need of fupport, and curling them 

 round the boughs, with an addrefs which can 

 hardly be afcribed to chance. Thefe relations 

 feem to fuppofe intelligence ; but we fhall find 

 others ftill more amiable, which are a demonftra- 

 tion of good nefs, not in the vegetable, but in the 

 hand which formed it. The Jylphiumy of our gar- 

 dens, is a great ferulaceous plant, which refembles, 

 on the firft glance, what is known by the name of 

 the fun-flower. It's capacious leaves are oppofed 

 at the bafe, and their cavities uniting, form an 

 oval cup, in which the rain water colleds, to the 

 quantity of a pretty large glafs-full. They are 

 placed in ftories, not in the fame direftion, but at 

 right angles, in order to receive the rain water 

 that falls in the whole extent of their circumference. 

 It's fquare ftem is very commodious for being 

 firmly caught by the claws of birds j and it's 



flowers 



