j 70 ON THE DISSECTION OF FLOWERS. 



curious construction most of its mechanical contrivance 

 depends. It is Strange we should annex such extreme 

 simplicity to the vegetable form, when mineralogy is hourly 

 presenting us with a variety of curious and difficult figures, 

 such as to puzzle the first mathematicians to find a suitable 

 name for their multangular solids; or a more simple de- 

 rivative from which to trace their integral crystallizations. 

 But with respect to botany the time is now come, I hope, 

 when its mechanism will be too well known, not to show 

 the.fallacy of these ideas: for if inanimate mattter requires 

 or can be resolved into such complex forms, how much 

 m6re where motion makes mechanism constantly requisite 

 to supersede volition ; 'and make amends for every assistance 

 this would bestow ? 



This median- Each day's work in dissection more and more proves to 



ism an import- i, ' '•.■ ■ . c 1 A • • 



»ni study me ' that the mechanism or botany is an important science ; 



which would develope to us, if known, the most wonderful 

 proceedings in nature; and give us more exact notions of 

 the sort of existence of plants (independent of volition and 

 wholly governed by mechanical powers) than we now possess, 

 and that the simplicity we talk of so much is merely that 

 found in ali nature; " the labour of the means never sur- 

 passing what the necessity of the end absolutely requires": 

 of which however we are not always proper judges; for so 

 various is the motion, so complicated the effect, to be pro- 

 duced, that it is impossible to dissect a single plant, and 

 not observe some mechanical wonder, that makes one feel 

 how little is understood of the purposes, for which, it is 

 intended; and most ardently long to attain that knowledge 

 which to gain is now become the labour of my life. But 

 it is in the whole general system of physiology, that that 

 beautiful simplicity is observable, not in the mechanical 

 part. There indeed it is unequalled: and I hope, when I 

 come to review the whole of the present work, from the 

 immense number of drawings I now possess, I shall prove 

 it most exquisite. 

 All vegetables By means of this curious construction of cylinder within 



formed cylin- cv ]i m ] er formed of each different sort of matter; the vessels 



der within cy ■ J # ' , _ ' 



linder. belonging to each circle; and the juices appropriated to 



each vessel, can never in the smallest degree interfere with 



each 



