Perceptive Power of Vegetalles 1 37 



it is the defign of this little Eflay, rather to in- 

 veftigate nature, than to appeal to metaphyfical 

 confiderations: I fhall proceed, therefore, to point 

 out a few of thofe phenonnena, in the vegetable 

 kingdom, which indicate fpontaneity. 



Several years ago, whilft engaged in a courfe 

 of experinnents to afcertain the influence of fixed 

 air on vegetation, the following faft repeatedly 

 occurred to me. A fprig of mint, fufpended 

 by the root, with the head downwards, in the 

 middle glafs veflel of Dr. Nooth's machine, 

 continued to thrive vigoroufly, without any 

 other pabulum, than v>?hat was fupplied by the 

 fbream of mephitic gas, to which it was ex- 

 pofed. In twenty-four hours, the ftem formed 

 into a curve, the head became eredl, and gradu- 

 ally afcended towards the mouth of the vefiel ; 

 thus producing, by fuccefTive efforts, a new and 

 unufual configuration of its parts. Such exer- 

 tions in the fprig of mint, to re<5lify its in- 

 verted pofition, and to remove from a foreio-n, 

 to its natural element, ftems to evince volijion 

 to avoid what was evil, and to recover what had 

 been experienced to be good. If a plant, in'a 

 garden- pot, be placed in a room, which has 

 no light, except from a hole in the wall, it will 

 fhoot towards the hole, pafs through it into the 

 open »ir, and then vegetate upwards, in its 

 proper direcflion. Lord Kaims relates, that, 

 *' amongft the ruins of New Abbey, formerly a 



" monaftery 



