85 ON THE MECHANISM OF FLOWERS 



bottom of the Clip of the corolla; but if it even permitted 

 tliem to steal alsotlie drop it shows, which attracts theflower 

 of the stamen?, the seeds would seldom be iirprecrnated. 

 Mimosa scnsi- I by no means think, that the spiral wire bein^, or not 

 *'^** being, the cause of motion in plants, is decided by our 



completely tinderstanding the management of the mimosa 

 sensitiva. I should as soon think, that steam being the 

 governing principle of the steam-engine depended on our 

 perfectly comprehending the conduct of the machine. It 

 is to the complete organization of plants in general, I trust, 

 where their mechanism is found far more simple, and easily 

 proved : not to a plant, the formation of which differs so 

 entirely from every other, as to require the most excessive 

 Tjicety in weighing the different powers against each other. 

 That it is a mechanical object its formation alone proves. 

 The rest, when I better understand this part of botany, I 

 shall hope more plainly to show. 



I am. Sir, 

 Your humble servant, 



AGNES IBBETSON. 



1 shall add a short description of the parts of the flower: 



Plate in, fig. 1 — 5, the common milkwort. 



Fig. 2 shows the cap thrown back, to admit the sun's 

 rays. 



Fig. 3 the wing, separated from fig. 1, to which in its 

 natural state it is fastened at x x. 



Fig. 4, the same dissected, showing the manner in which 

 the spiral wire is collected from the exterior of the wing, 

 and conveyed thence to the body of the flower by means of 

 the pieces e e, ff. 



Fig. .5, the ball, or swivel, on which the hood turns, as 

 shown at 6, figs 1 and 2. 



Plate IV, fig. 6, is the wing of the phaseolus vulgaris; 

 fig. 9 the banner : fig. 8 the pistil, clothed with the keel ; 

 and fig. 7, the same without it. w is the part which breaks, 

 to set at liberty the pistil in the interior. Though it will 

 perform its functions without this, yet I should suppose not 

 so well. 



Figs 10, 11, the antirrhinum divided into two parts. 



Fig-. 



