388 NATURAL THEOLOGY. 



glected, Natui'e has gone out of her course to pro- 

 vide for its security, and to make up to it for all 

 its defects. The seed-vessel, vs^hich in other plants 

 is situated within the cup of the flower, or just be- 

 neath it, in this plant lies buried ten or twelve in- 

 ches under ground within the bulbous root. The 

 tube of the flower, which is seldom more than a 

 few tenths of an inch long, in this plant extends 

 down to the root. The styles in all cases reach 

 the seed-vessel ; but it is in this by an elongation 

 unknown to any other plant. All these singulari- 

 ties contribute to one end. " As this plant blos- 

 soms late in the year, and probably would not 

 have time to ripen its seeds before the access of 

 winter, which would destroy them, Providence 

 has contrived its structure such, that this import- 

 ant ofliice may be performed at a depth in the 

 earth out of reach of the usual effects of frost."* 

 That is to say, in the autumn nothing is done 

 above ground but the business of impregnation : 

 which is an aflfair between the antherae and the 

 stigmata, and is probably soon over. The matu- 

 ration of the impregnated seed, which in other 

 plants proceeds within a capsule, exposed together 

 with the rest of the flower to the open air, is here 

 carried on, and during the whole winter, within 

 the heart, as we may say, of the earth, that is, 

 "out of the reach of the usual eftects of frost." 

 But then a new difficulty presents itself. Seeds, 

 though perfected, are known not to vegetate at 



* Withering, ubi supra, p. 360. 



