THE BOG. 159 



ment through their roots. One species particularly, 

 Sedum Telephium, the " Orpine growing still," of 

 Spenser, will live for several months, though sus- 

 pended by a string from the ceiling of a room. I 

 have even known it send out vigorous shoots, after 

 having been pressed between sheets of paper, and 

 placed in an herbarium. All these plants are 

 abundantly furnished with pores for imbibing 

 moisture from the atmosphere, but scantily pro- 

 vided with perspiratory vessels. On the contrary, 

 aquatic plants readily part with their moisture, 

 which they absorb principally by the under sur- 

 face of their leaves, and transmit through the 

 upper. A Water-lily, or a stem of Forget-me-not, 

 will begin to wither immediately that it is removed 

 from its native haunts. 



On the skirts of bogs are to be found, not un- 

 frequently, the greater and less Skull-cap ;* these 

 two plants afford a beautiful example of the care 

 exercised by Nature in protecting the ripening 

 seed. The corolla (or coloured portion of the 

 flower) consists of one tubular petal ; and the calyx 

 is shaped like a cup, the upper rim of which is 

 larger than the lower, and contains within it four 

 seeds unprotected by a seed-vessel. As soon as 

 the corolla has fallen off, the upper rim of the 

 calyx gradually bends down upon the lower, and 

 continues to grow until it has perfectly filled up 

 the opening ; so that the seeds, which would other- 

 wise be exposed to rain and dew, are as effectually 

 sheltered as if they were enclosed in the most com- 

 pact seed-vessel. When the seeds are ripe, the lid 

 rises, and suffers them to escape. 



u * Scutellaria galericulata and S. minor. 



