288 THE STORY-BOOK OF SCIENCE 



easily see that it is formed of five pieces joined to- 

 gether. ' ' 



"The number five occurs again and ni^am," ob- 

 served Claire. 



"A flower, my child, is beyond doubt a wonder- 

 ful thing of beauty, but especially is it a master- 

 piece of wise construction. Everything about it is 

 calculated according to fixed rules, everything ar- 

 ranged by number and measure. One of the most 

 frequent arrangements is in sets of five. That is 

 why we have just found five petals and five sepals 

 in all the flowers examined this morning. 



"Another grouping that often occurs is that in 

 threes. It is found in bulb flowers, the tulip, lily, 

 lily of the valley, etc. These flowers have no green 

 covering or calyx ; they have only a corolla composed 

 of six petals, three in an inner circle, three in an 

 outer. 



"The calyx and the corolla are the flower's cloth- 

 ing, a double clothing having both the substantial 

 material that guards from inclemency, and the fine 

 texture that charms the eye. The calyx, the outer 

 garment, is of simple form, modest coloring, firm 

 structure, suitable for withstanding bad weather. 

 It has to protect the flower not yet opened, to shield 

 it from the sun, from cold, and wet. Examine the 

 bud of a rose or mallow ; see with what minute pre- 

 cision the five sepals of the calyx are united to cover 

 the rest. Not the slightest drop of water could 

 penetrate the interior, so carefully are their cd^cs 

 joined together. There are flowers that close the 

 calyx every evening as a safeguard against the cold. 



