46 VIGNETTES FROM NATURE. 



themselves. Given the red campion, it is 

 easy enough to evolve the white from it ; but 

 who can say how many geological ages have 

 gone to the evolution of that parent form 

 itself from a simple open blossom like the 

 white stichwort ? 



All these precautions for due cross-fertili- 

 sation are now actually in course of being 

 followed up by another precaution yet more 

 efficacious than any. The head of blossom 

 which I hold in my hand, and which I have 

 pulled off in passing, consists wholly of male 

 flowers : every blossom contains stamens 

 only, without any pistils. On the other 

 hand, here in the hedge beside me stands 

 another plant of the same kind whose blos- 

 soms are all female : every one of them con- 

 tains a young capsule only, with the embryo 

 seeds distinctly visible when I cut it open, 

 but without a trace of stamens. This separa- 

 tion of the fructifying elements on different 

 plants is a very recent innovation in the cam- 

 pions, and it marks a very high degree of 



