316 Observations on the Formation of Double Flowers. 



founded upon a just consideration of all the facts connected 

 with metamorphosis. 



That exceptions to this law may exist, although unknown 

 to me, I am prepared to anticipate, for no attentive observer 

 of nature can be ignorant of the singular caprice which it is 

 her privilege to exercise, or of those frequent anomalies 

 which shew how incomprehensible are her operations, and 

 how little the human mind is capable of understanding her 

 mysterious workings; but I think it may be affirmed that 

 the principle above laid down is that by which she is guided 

 in the great mass of her creations of this kind. 



Before I conclude, I wish, in order to prevent misconcep- 

 tion of my meaning, to observe, that the changes in the parts 

 of a flower which take place either by mulplication, or trans- 

 formation, or abortion of particular organs, are altogether of 

 another nature from those which happen in Composite, 

 where impletion is only apparent, and in which the metamor- 

 phoses depend upon laws of a different kind. 



