262 METEORIC FLOWERS. 



still more curious. This plant, during that clear weather 

 which most flowers affect, keeps entirely shut ; but as soon 

 as a thick mist overspreads the earth, or a cloud obscures 

 the bright face of heaven, it begins to open its light blue 

 corolla. 



Everybody knows, or should know, that when the robin 

 looks sad and drooping, and ceases to greet you with his 

 wonted blithesome strain, " foul weather " is at hand. Many 

 animals, by their peculiar habits, afford equally certain indica- 

 tions of approaching atmospheric changes. 



This does not seem strange to us ; we account for it by the 

 instinct which every animal possesses, in a larger or smaller 

 degree. But the same anticipatory faculty is possessed by 

 several plants ; they feel the increasing moisture of the air long 

 before it can be detected by ourselves. Thus, when a storm 

 is at hand, some species of anemones fold up their blossoms j 

 the fragrant flowers of the wild pink convolvulus wind them- 

 selves together ; the awns of the wild oat, and the sweet- 

 scented meadow-grass, stand in an erect position, and the 

 clover leaves are drawn closely up. 



Naturalists, says Pratt, are unable to discover why some 

 plants should be affected by moisture and others not; but 

 the regular changes of these natural barometers seem a pro- 

 vidential arrangement to supply certain wants of the flowers 

 in which they occtir. We may draw this inference from 

 the different positions of several flowers according to their 

 circumstances. Thus the poppy, when in bud, hangs down on 

 its stem, and preserves its petals from rain and wind ; but as 



