CONTENTS OF CELLS AND VESSELS. 



I8 5 



these little bodies that causes the green colour of 

 so many parts of plants (Fig. 162). But about this, 

 and the presence of other colouring matter in the 

 cells of plants, you must try to learn more particularly 

 after you have read the chapters upon Physiology. 

 Meanwhile, the more you notice the exquisite colours 

 which abound in plants, the rich contrasts of flowers 

 and fruits, so pleasing in their setting of the prevailing 

 and restful green, the more, I think, you will admire 

 them. So, also, our common trees will give you many 

 a beautiful picture in the spring and early summer in 

 the colours of their fresh expanded leaves, and in the 

 autumn if you notice them as their leaves begin to 

 fade and die. 



Perhaps you have never 

 seen the " starch grains " 

 which are so often found 

 in plant cells, especially 

 those of the potato tubers, 

 beans, or wheat or rice, 

 and kindred seeds (Fig. 

 163). If you take a bit 



Fig. 163. -Chlorophyll corpuscles of P otato tuber > and Wel1 

 with starch grains, from a leaf SQak j t so ften, separate, 

 magnified 550 times, a, 0, c, a, e, 



corpuscles of increasing age : in and wash it in water, you 



the latter ones the starch fills ... 



almost the whole space ; /, g, will presently have a little 

 ^S^l?rt^^S white P wder remaining. 



corpuscle has been destroyed, and Look at it through your 

 only the starchy contents remain ; 



b' />" show corpuscle dividing. magnifying glass. Under 



the microscope you could 



