THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



447 



Mademoiselle Limifeus, and afterwards recognized by some 

 naturalists.^ 



241. Combustion of the Vajjours of Bastard Dittany— Z)ic(am)i«s FraxineUa (Persoon). 



^ The discovery of tliis extraordiu.iry phenomenon is due to Mademoiselle 

 Linnteus. She rernai-ked that during twilight, or towards tlie beginning of dawn, 

 the flowers of the monkshood produced passing gleams from moment to moment. 

 She communicated these observations to her father, and to several authorities on 

 physics. These species of lightnings were generally attributed to a disengage- 

 ment of electricity, and this was the opinion of M. Vilcke in particular. — Me- 

 moires de la tiociete de Suede, 1762. Pulteney, Coup d'oeil sur la Vie et les Ouvrages 

 de Linnee. 



M. Haggreu has made similar observations on different flowers. In order to 



57 



