peculiar examples of the richer! and moft exalted fra- 

 grance. 



A mid ft this profufioii of fweets in the vegetable 

 kingdom there are occafionally interfperfed fome exam- 

 ples of a contrary odor : thus fome fpecies in the 

 genera of Arum, Sterculia, Lobelia, and a few others, 

 are convincing proofs that Nature does not always 

 accommodate her productions to the immediate gra- 

 tification of the human fenfe. 



A fpecies of Morell, not uncommon in woods to^ 

 wards the latter part of the fummer, has a fmell fo 

 much refe nib ling that of putrid animal matter, as to 

 attract feveral fpecies of carnivorous infecls, and par- 

 ticularly flies, which are generally obferved fettled in 

 great numbers on the top of the plant, and eagerly 

 feafting on the glutinous moifture with which it 

 abounds. 



But of all vegetables yet known, which are poffeffed 

 of a fmell fimilar to that of animal fubftances, the 

 plant here figured is by far the moft remarkable ; and 

 when in a State of ilorefcence, diffufes a kent fo pow- 

 erfully cadaverous as to allure the common fleih-fly, or 

 blow-fly to depofit its eggs on the flower, where they 

 are hatched, and the young larva?, for want of proper 

 nutriment, commonly periih foon afterwards j and thus 

 Nature in this fingle inftancc, almoft feems to have 

 deceived herfelf. If however we may rely on r .e 

 obfervations, it happens fometimes that other fpecies 

 of flies much imaller than the common fleifi-Hy, depo- 

 fit their eggs in the flower, and when hatched, the lar- 

 vae being verv fmall, and not requiring much, food, 

 •r, ' do 



