292 ESSAYS AND OBSERVATIONS 



ing often heavier than water ; and alfo, 

 that fome Jlores nutantes have the piftil- 

 lum longer than the ftamina ; but cannot 

 allow the reafon to be *' ut cadat pollen in 

 *• ftigma:" For thus it muft fall on the 

 back of the ftigma, when the flylus is 

 there thickeft, or fall by it quite, whea 

 there flenderefl:; and, in neither cafe, can 

 this have ready accefs to the feed. Again, 

 in many genera of plants, not only in dif- 

 ferent fpecies, but even on the fame ftem, 

 fome flowers hang down, others ftand e- 

 re6l, others horizontal, while the piflil- 

 lum and (lamina bear the fame propor- 

 tion to one another : e. g. fome fpecies of 

 the narciifus, campanula, lilium, &c. 

 And although every JJoi 7intans had the pi- 

 flillum lonc^er than the ftamina, yet it 

 could not thence be inferred with any 

 probability, that the defign of the great 

 Creator, in thus forming them, was what 

 our author'^ alledge, unlefs every erecfl 

 flower had its piiiillum fliorter than the 

 ftamina which is far from being fa(5l, as 



is proven above *. 



40. Ar- 



* Vid. No 25. 



