CHAPTER III 



THE COMMON ARUM, OR CUCKOO-PINT 

 (A rum maculaUim) 



Science has not only routed the view, once 

 universally held, that this earth of ours is the 

 centre of the whole universe, but has destroyed 

 many closely-related notions as well, such as that 

 the beauties of Nature are designed especially to 

 minister to the aesthetic tastes of mankind. Of 

 course, man may still, if he chooses to delude him- 

 self, assume that the beautiful forms and colours of 

 natural objects are there to gratify his eyes and 

 gladden his heart, but the fact remains that the 

 slightest scientific investigation in any direction 

 will soon prove to him that, although these things 

 may brighten man's path through life, yet this is 

 only incidental to their real function — Nature's 

 finishing touch, as it were, the touch that makes 

 the whole world kin. 



Even the green colour of the grass has its 

 specific function, and so, likewise, has every tiny 

 hair or spot of colour that accompanies a flower or 

 appears on stern or leaf; and the function of an 

 organ is always associated with the interests of 

 the organism itself. Therefore, when a flower 

 secretes rich nectar or honey, and sends forth 

 sweet perfumes, at the same time developing 



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