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which both protect and convey nourishment to the 

 embryo, fruit and seeds. But as soon as the calix is 

 formed into a small fruit, containing a minute, se- 

 minal tree, the blossom falls oiF, leaving it to imbibe 

 nourishment for itself, which is brought within the 

 reach of its suction, by the adjoining leaves. 



I proceed to make some additional reflections upon 

 the vegetable kingdom. 



All plants produce seeds ; but they are intirely 

 unfit for propagation, till they are impregnated. 

 This is performed within the flower, by the dust of 

 the antherae falling upon the moist stigmata, where 

 it bursts and sends forth a very subtle matter, which 

 is absorbed by the style, and conveyed down to the 

 seed. As soon as this operation is over, those or* 

 gans wither and fall. But one flower does not always 

 contain alJ these, often the male orgaas are on one, 

 the female, on another. And that nothing may be 

 wanting, the whole apparatus of the antherae and 

 stigmata is in all flowers contrived with wonderful 

 wisdom. In most, the stigmata surround the pistil, 

 und are of the same height. But where the pistil is 

 longer than the stigmata, the flowers recline, that 

 the dust may fall into the stigma, and when impreg- 

 nated rise again, that the seeds may not fall out. la 

 other flowers the pistil is shorter, and there the 

 ilowars preserve an erect situation. Nay, when the 

 flowering season comes on, they become erect though, 

 they were drooping before. Lastly, when the male 

 flowers are placed below the female, the leaves are 

 very small and narrow, that they may not hinder the 

 dust from flying upwards like smo^e, and when in 

 the same species one plant is male, and the other 

 female, there the dust is carried in abundance by 

 the wind from the male to the female. We cannot 

 also without admiration observe, that most flowers 

 expand themselves when the sun shines, and close 

 when either rain, clouds, or evening is coming on, 

 lest the genital dust should be coagulated, or other- 

 * 



