2M NATURAL THEOLOay. 



contents. The white, and the white only, is expended in 

 the formation of the chicken. The yolk, yery little altered 

 or diminished, is wrapped up in the abdomen of the yonny 

 bird when it quits the shell, and serves for its nourishment 

 till it has learned to pick its own food. This perfectly 

 resembles the first nutrition of a plant. In the plant, ag 

 well as in the animal, the structure has every character ol 

 contrivance belonging to it : in both, it breaks the transition 

 from prepared to unprepared aliment ; in both, it is prospec- 

 tive and compensatory. In animals which suck, this inter- 

 mediate nourishment is supplied by a different source. 



In all subjects the most common observations are the 

 best, when it is their truth and strength which have made 

 them common. There are, of this sort, ttco concerning plants, 

 which it falls wathin our plan to notice. The Jirst relates 

 to what has already been touched upon, their germination. 

 When a grain of corn is cast into the ground, this is the 

 change which takes place. From one end of the grain 

 issues a green sprout ; from the other, a number of white 

 fibrous threads. How can this be explained ? Why not 

 sprouts from both ends ; why not fibrous threads from both 

 ends ? To what is the difierence to be referred, but to de- 

 sign ; to the difierent uses which the parts are thereafter to 

 serve — uses which discover themselves in the sequel of the 

 process ? The sprout, or plumule, struggles into the air, 

 and becomes the plant, of which from the first it contained 

 the rudiments ; the fibres shoot into the earth, and thereby 

 both fix the plant to the ground, and collect nourishment 

 from the soil for its support. Now, what is not a httle 

 remarkable, the parts issuing from the seed take their re- 

 epectivc directions into whatever position the seed itself hap- 

 pens to be cast. If the seed be thrown into the wrongest 

 possible position, that is. if the ends point in the ground the 

 reverse of wtat they ought to do, every thing nevertheless 

 goes on right. The sprout, after being pushed down a little 

 vvav. makes a bend, and turns upwards ; the fibres, on the 



