ZOOGENY. 319 



the corolla, however, this expression of life attained to 

 completion. It is no longer simple nutrition or accumu- 

 lation of sap that moves the stamina upon the female 

 stigma, but a purely polar act ; the Immaterial, the Spi- 

 ritual produces the phenomena of life. These movements 

 of copulation are by no means a coalescence, are not a 

 nutritive act, nor the result of mechanical decissation, as 

 is the case in many capsules; but true elevated vital 

 actions. The parts reassume after the motion their first 

 or original position, a feat which is performed by no 

 capsule upon its dehiscence. Of these movements, those 

 of the leaves in the sensitive plants, e. g. Hedysaruni 

 gyrans, are the antetypes or prefigurations. There con- 

 sequently originates with the highest development of the 

 light-organs in the plant, a motion independent of the 

 material processes, and of the terrestrial elements. 



1759. A motion, that is liberated from the terrestrial 

 elements, is free from their mechanism ; it simply obeys 

 the nature of the aether, which is of a spiritual, or volun- 

 tary, kind. 



1760. The essence of volition or free-will does not reside, 

 in a physical sense, in the consciousness of the action, but 

 in the autocrasy ; or in the ability to perform an action, 

 without external or terrestrial influence. The aether- 

 actions have originated from special polarity. Inde- 

 pendent movements must therefore be such as have 

 been produced simply by polarity, apart from material 

 intrusion. 



1761. The ability or power upon the part of organic 

 bodies to apprehend polar excitation, to move them- 

 selves simply by its means, and again to restore them- 

 selves to their former state, without regard being paid 

 to a material process, I call Irritability. That organ is 

 irritable which can move itself without any other object 

 than that of automacy or self-motion. 



1762. Irritability belongs to the plant, but is only of 

 that kind where the perception cannot express itself 

 otherwise than by direct motion. In the sexual parts 

 and probably in the highest leaf-formation, the plant is 



