A SHARP LOOKOUT 9 



ther; and the opposite signs fail during a wet spell, 

 because nature is caught in the other rut. 



Observe the lilies of the field. Sir John Lub- 

 bock says the dandelion lowers itself after flowering, 

 and lies close to the ground while it is maturing its 

 seed, and then rises up. It is true that the dande- 

 lion lowers itself after flowering, retires from soci- 

 ety, as it were, and meditates in seclusion; but 

 after it lifts itself up again the stalk begins anew 

 to grow, it lengthens daily, keeping just above the 

 grass till the fruit is ripened, and the little globe of 

 silvery down is carried many inches higher than 

 was the ring of golden flowers. And the reason is 

 obvious. The plant depends upon the wind to 

 scatter its seeds; every one of these little vessels 

 spreads a sail to the breeze, and it is necessary that 

 they be launched above the grass and weeds, amid 

 which they would be caught and held did the stalk 

 not continue to grow and outstrip the rival vegeta- 

 tion. It is a curious instance of foresight in a 

 weed. 



I wish I could read as clearly this puzzle of the 

 button-balls (American plane-tree). Why has Na- 

 ture taken such particular pains to keep these balls 

 hanging to the parent tree intact till spring? What 

 secret of hers has she buttoned in so securely 1 for 

 these buttons will not come off". The wind cannot 

 twist them off", nor warm nor wet hasten or retard 

 them. The stem, or peduncle, by which the ball 

 is held in the fall and winter, breaks up into a 

 dozen or more threads or strands, that are stronger 



