6 Flowers and their Unbidden Guests. 



of a certain position of the leaf, the advantages it 

 confers have been hitherto merely overlooked, or un- 

 recognised. But the mere fact that a person does nort 

 at once perceive an advantage does not justify him in 

 assuming that none exists ; and any one who builds 

 up a structure of hypotheses, the uncertainty of which 

 is, moreover, increased by his own short-sightedness, 

 must not be surprised to see his buUding forthwith 

 tumble to the ground. "* 



I hold the opinion that the position, direction, and 

 shape, of the leaf is of just as great significance for the 

 preservation of a species, as the form, colour, and smell 

 of the flower ; and that no hair is meaningless, whether 

 found on the cotyledon or the leaf, on the stem or 

 the blossom. 



It is true that we know as yet very little as to the 

 functional significance of the position and form of the 

 several parts of plants. The very elements of their 

 biology are as yet scarcely well made out. There is in 

 science as elsewhere a changing fashion, and this gives 

 to its teaching a preferential turn, now in one now in 

 another direction. Most workers give their attention 

 preferentially to that object which seems at the time 

 most important ; and among the branches of Botany 

 which during the last few decades have been shoved 

 aside, is unfortunately to be counted Biology ; that is to 

 say, the determination of the functional significance of 

 morphological characters. 



