A 



JOURNAL 



Of 



NATURAL PHILOSOPHY, CHEMISTRY, 



AND 



THE ARTS. 



JANUARY, 18U. 



ARTICLE L 



t>ii the Meehanism of Leaves, In a LeHerfroHi Mrs, Aonbi . 

 Ibbetson. 



To Mr. NICHOLSON. 

 SIR, 



JL O prove so important a point, as that all plants arc 

 governed by mechanical means, it will not I hope be , 



thought superfluous, to give a specimen of the sort of me- 

 chanism belonging to each part of a plant. 1 have already 

 shown in what manner the mechanical power increases pro- 

 gressively from the firs, which have no spiral wire, to the 

 sensitive plant, whicli has such a complicated arrangement. 

 I have also shown the mechanical use of the gatherers of the 

 haves, whether one or two. 1 shall in the present letter Subject of the 

 therefore point out the means, by which leaves embracing Letter. 

 the stem have also the power of turning and changing 

 their position, equalling in this respect those which I de- 

 scribed in my last letter :' I shall next point out those stems 

 which are formed like joints, and which may be said wholly 

 to differ in mechanism from the former, turning on a ball 

 and socket : these are most of the galia, arenarise, stel- 

 Vol. XXXI. No. 141.— Jan. 1812. B lariae. 



