126 Dr. Perchal on the 



grafp It forcibly, lock the rows of fpines toge- 

 ther, and fqueeze it to death : And, left the 

 ftruggles for life Ihould difengage the infeft, 

 thus entangled, three fnnall fpines are fixed 

 amon<yft the glands, near the middle of each 

 lobe, which effedually put an end to all its 

 efforts: nor do the lobes open again, while the 

 dead aninnal continues there. The diffolution 

 of its fubftance, therefore, is fuppofed, by natu- 

 ralifts, to conftitute part of the nourifhment of 

 the plant. But as the difcriminative power of 

 inftindt is always linnited, and proceeds with a 

 blind uniformity when put into exertion, the 

 plant clofes its leaves as forcibly, if ftimulated 

 by a ftraw or a pin, as by the body of an infed : 

 Nor does it expand them again, till the extrane- 

 ous fubftance is withdrawn.* 



III. If the fafts and obfervations, which have 

 been adduced, furnilh any prefumptive proof of 

 the inftindlive power of vegetables, it will necef- 

 farily follow, that they muft be endued with fome 

 degree of spontaneity. For the impulfe to dif- 

 criminate and to prefer, is an aftual exertion of 

 that principle, however obfcure the confciouf- 

 nefs or the feeling may be, with which it is 

 accompanied : And fuch volition prefuppofes an 

 innate perception, both of what is confonant, 

 and of what is injurious to the conftitution of 

 the individual, or fpecies direded by it. But 



• See the Annual Regifter for 1775, P- 93* 



it 



