LECTURE VII. 309 



the female, which he visits, to suck the 

 honey from its nectary j and thus undesign- 

 ingly apphes part of the pollen to the stig- 

 mata. When 'the male and female parts 

 are included in the same flower, we find 

 each of them varying in number from one 

 to twenty and more. We find in some in- 

 stances the males proportionately much 

 more numerous than the females, and in 

 others the number of females far exceeding 

 that of the males ; and we are unable to 

 assign any adequate reasons for the facts we 

 observe. Yet in examining all the works of 

 Nature we find the same difficulty ; we know 

 not why those works are formed as they are. 

 It is a problem that can only be solved 

 after Captain Shandy's method, by saying, 

 " It is the will of Heaven, brother," which, 

 as he replies, is cutting the Gordian knot, 

 without attempting to untie it. 



In the seeds of most plants, much more 

 nutritive matter is found than is necessary 

 to supply the young plumula, till it acquires 

 means and powers of deriving sustenance 

 from other sources, and this surplus affords 



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