CHICKWEED. Ill 



" Averse from evening's chilly breeze, 

 How many close their silken leaves, 



To save the embryo flowers I 

 As if, ambitious of a name, 

 They sought to spread around their fame. 

 And bade the infant buds proclaim 

 The parent's valued powers." 



All this is done by means of the spiral 

 fibres ; and their agency is equally conspicu- 

 ous in causing the flowers to shut up be- 

 fore the coming of a storm. He who passes 

 by, and sees the numerous little white co- 

 rollas of the chickweed fully expanded, may 

 go on his way in safety : he need not fear 

 the coming of a storm, for some hours at 

 least. If, on the contrary, the flowers do 

 not open freely ; if the guardian leaves, still 

 seem unwilling to forego their watch, let 

 him hasten home, for the rain will soon fall. 

 The effect in both cases is produced by the 

 extreme susceptibility of the spiral fibres, 



