OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS. 163 



with its branches and flowers, dies down to the ground, and 

 disappears from the earth's surface on the approach of winter. 

 In other instances, where woody matter is deposited in 

 greater abundance, the leaves and flowers perish, but life 

 remains passive in the stem. The cold has arrested the 

 vegetable machinery but produces no disarrangement of its 

 parts, on the contrary, a section of the autumnal bud, 

 shows beautifully the young embryo leaves and the un- 

 developed internodes of the n'ext year's growth, already 

 formed in them, and but awaiting the return of the warmth 

 and brightness of the sun, to come forth out of this their 

 hybernaculum, and again exhibit the same vital movements. 



The seed and ovum in vegetables and in the lower forms 

 of animals, is but a retreat into which exhausted vitality 

 retires for a season in order to recover its wonted energies ; 

 it also afibrds a shelter for the young embryo during the 

 prevalence of those conditions which are unfavorable for its 

 development. Accordingly, we find that the seeds of many 

 early flowering annuals germinate again in autumn, as the 

 light and heat . of the sun are then much the same as in 

 early spriTig. A little family of giants is thus seen rising 

 around their aged and dying parent. In some instances, 

 the individuals of this family arrive again at an adult state, 

 and flowers as well as leaves appear ; generally, however, 

 the germinating seeds can only produce leaves, the ap- 

 proach of cold weather arresting all further development. 

 These and many other appearances in nature are deserving 

 of a greater share of attention than has hitherto been allot- 

 ted to them. All practical gardeners and botanists are 

 acquainted with many plants which flower in spring, and 

 again develop in autumn, on a return of similar conditions 

 of light, temperature, and moisture. 



That the vegetable machinery would continue in motion 



