PO VERTY AND BANKR UPTC V. 225 



to be obliged to sacrifice — their whole lives are 

 frequently one act of surrender, or giving up the 

 gratification of desires. 



"Adversity is the mother of invention" — especi- 

 ally when the invention is to be applied for the 

 benefit of offspring. Hence we are not surprised, 

 knowing as we do how the cleistogamic habit 

 has been acquired and the circumstances which 

 have led to its adoption, to find Darwin speaking as 

 follows : " Cleistogamic flowers possess great facili- 

 ties for burying their young ovaries or capsules, 

 owing to their small size, pointed shape, closed 

 condition, and the absence of a corolla ; and we can 

 thus understand how it is that so many of them 

 have acquired this curious habit." 



" Poverty makes acquaintance with strange bed- 

 fellows," and it is suggestive to find there is such a 

 thing as floral bankruptcy, resorted to by insect- 

 fertilised and wind -fertilised plants alike ; and by 

 members of orders botanically as far apart as pos- 

 sible, but which meet, as peer, merchant, and shop- 

 keeper among ourselves frequently do, in a common 

 Bankruptcy Court. 



