OF NATURAL HISTORY. 261 



rei lyciiiils transfufed its own individual qualities, without 

 allowing a iingle particle of the female to appear. This is 

 contrary to every analogy. If the change had originated 

 from fe5cual commixture, the progeny ought not to have 

 been completely red, but pied, or a mixture of red and 

 wiiite. To whatever caufe, therefore, this change may be 

 attributed, it can never be afcribed to any thing analogous 

 to generation. 



3. That colour is a delicate and ilu£luating quality. It 

 depends ih much on light, air, health, and perhaps fome un- 

 knov\rn caufes, that botanifts, with great propriety, have re-- 

 jecled it as a fpecific characler. Sufpe^ling that caufes of 

 this nature might change the colour of the white lychnis un- 

 der conlideraiion, I examined the condition of fome plants 

 then fubjc^'led to the fame trials in our Botanic Garden. 

 The ^towers both of the red and white lychnis were then in 

 full blow under the bell, the glafs of which was thick, and 

 of a darker green than our common beer-bottles. The 

 light, of courfe, tranfmitted to the plants was lurid and ob- 

 fcure. They were alfo deprived of a free circulation of air. 

 Under thefe unnatural circumftances, the plants had a lickly 

 afpecl. The flowers of the red variety, inftead of a vivid 

 red, were almoft perfectly white. Here we have nearly an 

 equal change made upon the fame plant, without the poffi- 

 bility of its being efFcsfted by the intercourfe of fexes. If 

 plants are thus deprived of proper light and air, it cannot 

 be furprifing to fee changes produced in the colour of their 

 immediate defcendents. The contaminated air efcaping 

 from the plants themfelves, and from the foil under the bell, 

 may be fufficlent to produce this effedt. I formerly men- 

 tioned, that the colour and other qualities of plants grow- 

 ing near each other, may be changed by abforbing the mat- 

 ter of tranfpiration and exudation. The argument is appli- 

 cable with the peculiar force to plants imprifoned fo clofely, 



I I 



