244 ESSAYS anv OBSERVATIONS 
‘«‘ quantur, marafmo exarefcant, locum con- 
*cedant infeCtorum nidis et eorum evoluti- 
*‘ oni, ut fruges uftilagine pereant, et quae 
* funt alia vitia. Sedulo itaque Natura ubique 
<¢ folicita fuit, ut genitura illibata ad piftillum 
“* perveniret,” Ge/nerus (k). But how does it 
appear that fuch are the confequences, of the 
duft’s being wafhed away by rain? Has too 
much moifture no bad effects, after the /famz- 
na have fhed their dufts? Does it not fre- 
quently rot the plants? &c. 
‘© Quinto pluviae. In omnibus fere flori- 
*‘ bus confpicitur, quomodo, urente fole, fefe 
‘“‘ expandant, vefpertino vero tempore, et 
“aére humido, flofculos complicent, ne 
** aqua pollen antherarum attingat et coagu- 
“Jet, quo facto, ad ftigmata eflari nequeat ; 
“¢ at fligmate, mirum fane! femel foecunda- 
“to, nec vefpere, nec pluvia ingruente, 
“< fefe contrahant flores,” Wablbom. (/). Bat 
our author knows, that many plants clofe 
their leaves in the night or in rain; as 
the acaciae, mimofoe, &c. that many open 
their flowers in the night, and fhut them 
when 
(k) Differt. p. 91. 
(/) Amaen Acad. 1. p. 93. 
