us 



so night and day, until they drop off or die away, 

 Others, which shut in the night time, open in the 

 morning sooner or later, according to their situation 

 in the sun or shade, or as they are influenced by the 

 manifest changes of the atmosphere* There are another 

 class of flowers, which make the subject of these ob- 

 servations, which observe a more uniform law in this 

 particular. 



These open and shut constantly at certain hours, 

 exclusive of any manifest changes in the atmosphere, 

 and this with so little variation in point of time, as to 

 render the phenomenon worth observation. Linnseus's 

 observation extends to near fifty species which arc sub- 

 ject to this law. We will enumerate some of these, 

 and mention the time when the flowers open and shut. 

 The little blue Convolvulus, or Bindweed, opens its 

 flowers between five and six in the morning, and shuts 

 them in the afternoon. The flowers of the Day-Lilly 

 open about five in the morning, and shut at seven or 

 eight in the evening. The lesser Water. Plan tain, during 

 its flowering time, only opens its flowers each day 

 about noon, The flowers of the Proliferous Pink, 

 expand about eight in the morning, and close again 

 about one in the afternoon. Purple Spurrey expands 

 between nine and ten in the morning, and closes be- 

 tween two and three in the afternoon. This little 

 plant is common among the corn in sandy soils, anc^i 

 flowers in June. Common Purslain opens its flowers 

 about nine or ten in the morning, and closes them 

 again in about an hour's time. The white Water- Lilly 

 grows in rivers, ponds, and ditches, and the flowers 

 1 e upon the surface of the water. At their time of ex- 

 pansion, which is about seven in the morning, the 

 stalk is erected, and the flowers more elevated abovq 

 the surface. In this situation it continues till about 

 four in the afternoon, when the tlower sinks to the 

 surface of the water, and closes again. Yellow Goa 

 Beard, or Go-to-bed-at-noon, (the latter of thrse 

 names was given to this iJant Idwg since, on acc-jiind 

 of this remarkable property) opens its flowers in ge* 



