THE BEE. 135 



MESTAI. ATTHIBrTES OP AJJIMALS. — EETROSPECT. — ABB 

 THE WOHM, THE FLY, AXD THE BEE COMMONPLACE AXD UX- 

 LNTEBESTIXG ? — VHICH IS THE MOST INTJISPENSABLE ? — THE 

 CARE OF THE ALMIGHTY FOB ALL HIS WOKKS. — THE VAEIOUS 

 MEANS EMPLOYED BY Tmr TO ATTAIN s rnfTT. ATt ENDS. — HIS 

 CARE OF rS. — THE RELATION OF THE HTOTBLE CHEATUEES 

 TO OUBSELVES, AND OCB RELATION TO GOD. — CONCLUSION. 



It is a well-known fact, that certain plants are capable 

 of peifonniag movements of a limited kind, that are 

 necessary for their protection or development. To 

 select two very familiar examples : the daisy closes at 

 night and opens in the morning, so that the central 

 whorl of delicate flowers escapes the effects of the 

 night airj the sunflower is always turned towards 

 the solar orh, which it follows ia its course, in order 

 to secure its vivifying influence throughout the whole 

 day. 



These movements take place whilst the plants re- 

 main fixed in the ground ; but there are other examples 

 in the vegetable kingdom, where the organisms them- 

 selves, which are aquatic, move about ia the water 

 with great rapidity, propelled by little hair-like elastic 

 fibres termed " cilia" that vibrate rapidly to and fro ; 

 and, strange to say, although these plants are thus 

 remarkably endowed with an attribute usually sup- 

 posed to belong only to the animated tribes, yet they 

 rank amongst the lowest types of vegetable life *. So 

 closely do some of these "protophytes" resemble 



* e. g. Vohox Glohator (a little green rolliiig globe, found in 

 ponds in great numbers, especially in summer), Gomum, &c. &c. 



