PLANTS OF PALESTINE. 127 



not sufficient to drive the plant to these expedients, 

 for I have not noticed the leaf-blades turned so as to 

 have their edges vertical. 



Ardoino calls the Caper subspontaneous, which 

 implies that it is able to sow its seeds in this climate, 

 but I have never yet found a ripe fruit. It has not 

 been found possible, even at Kew, to cultivate the 

 Caper under glass. 



I have noticed a curious fact in connection with 

 the Caper, namely that the common Cabbage White 

 butterfly (Pieris Brassicce) will sometimes lay her eggs 

 upon it. Now the Crucifers or Cress Flowers are the 

 proper food plants of these white butterflies (Pieridse). 

 But how ever does this insect know that the Caper is 

 allied to the Crucifers ? By what hidden faculty is 

 this little creature made aware of a fact which the 

 most accomplished botanist could never suspect ? A 

 fact which becomes clear only by the study of inter- 

 mediate forms which do not exist in Europe. By 

 what divination does she foresee that the little larvae, 

 if hatched upon this plant, will live ? For the Caper 

 blossom bears no resemblance to that of a Wallflower, a 

 Stock (Matthiola), or a Cabbage. All these are more or 

 less closed, and contain two short stamens and 

 four longer ones, whereas the Caper flower lies 

 wide open to the sun with its tassel of uncounted 

 stamens. Must we not believe that even the smallest 

 living things are animated and informed by that same 

 Great Power in Whom we also live and move ? 



" Eminet in minimis Maximus ipse Deus." 



Or as the Father of English Natural History, turning 

 from prose to poetry, exclaims : 



"The God of Nature is their secret guide." 



