A 



JOURNAL 



OF 



NATURAL PHILOSOPHY, CHEMLSTRY, 

 THE ARTS. 



FEBRUARY, 1812. 



ARTICLE I. 



On the Meihanism of Floicers. In a Letter from Mrs. 

 Agnes Ibbetson. 



To Mr. NICHOLSON. 

 SIR, 



JL AM now to give the mechanical management of the 

 flowers. 



That each natural species has a different mechanism, one Mechanism •! 

 peculiarly suited to its shape and structure, I am perfectly 

 convinced, from the dissections 1 have made of such num- 

 bers, having tried every sort of flower, 1 could procure.- I 

 am indeed not fortunately situate in this respect ; as I am 

 not near many gardens where curious exotics can be had, 

 so that I am obliged to be contented, in a great measure, 

 with what the indigenous soil and the common garden will 

 yield, which do not produce me that variety T could wish. 

 Indeed I did not intend to pick out the most animated^ 

 flowers, lest it should be said, that they were exceptions to 

 a general rvile; I have rather taken the first that occurred, 

 as there is no flower without mechanism, or the beautiful 

 arrangement of which is not such as to be well worth the 



Vol. XXXL No. 142— Feb. 1812. G c©b- 



