454 



THE UNIVERSE. 



evening, and on the day following takes on again exactly 

 the same succession of tints as it showed the day before. 



What a variety of perfumes the flower possesses ! And 

 yet, notwithstanding their thousand and one shades of dif- 



201. Flowers of Raffiesia Arnoldi. 



ference, those whose sense of smell is sharpened by prac- 

 tice can distinguish that of each species. 



It is even stated in some works that a young American, 

 who had become quite blind, botanized, guided by the smell 

 only, in the midst of prairies enamelled with luxuriant veg- 

 etation, and never committed any mistake in his gleanings. 



The odors which exhale from plants are almost always 

 delightful ; it is only rarely that they are repulsive. 



