56 



THE NATURALIST. 



I point to the full use of the Microscope in the pursuit of this subject, 

 and, I think, close research here can for ever settle this disputed question. 

 So far as I have thought on this matter, I am of opinion — this opinion it is 

 true may he modified on further examination — that the petal of a plant is as 

 distinct, essentially from a leaf, as any two organs foimd in the human 

 frame can possibly be. And although " dame nature " may occasionally 

 seem to forget herseK, and, in a fit of abstraction, produce a monstrosity, yet 

 she shows a uniformity in her actions too widely spread abroad, I think, in 

 all her doings for us to be too hard upon her, when now and then she plays 

 off one of her unaccountable freaks, just to set us " all by the ears." The 

 opinion I have expressed here, I believe, is opposed to the views of some of 

 our great Botanists, including the late great Dr. Lindley, and the living Dr. 

 Carpenter, still I must dare, in these days when liberty of thinking is not 

 considered to be a crime, to act and think for myself, even if in doing so 

 I clash with wiser and greater men, than I can either expect or even hope to 

 be myself 



Classification. 

 Pigment cells then I shall divide into four great divisions : — 

 First — Cells beautiful in form and colour. 

 Second — Cells simple in form and colour. 

 Third — Cells singular in form and beautiful in colour. 

 Fourth — Iridescent or glistening cells. 

 These rough divisions will serve to classify all kinds of cells, probably, 

 that may come under our notice. 



Division I. 



From our first division then of cells, beautiful in form and colour — 

 as a type I select the well known one, the Pelargonium. 



This affords us plenty of variety to work upon. Some plants produce 

 light coloured flowers, others dark, and between these are found almost every 

 possible shade of colour. We will now take a film stripped off in the way 

 previously described, and submit it to a close examination : we find first a 

 thin film or membranaceous cuticle, so to speak, of one uniform colour; upon 

 this membrane, next, we notice some very beautiful tracery work, of rich 

 colour and form, this tracery work takes the form of a hexagon in outline. One 

 light fringe edged leaf, (the petal I mean) which I have minutely examined, 

 I found to form cells of that shape which a true hexagon would form if 

 traced within a perfect circle, and each division or side of which was of 

 equal length ; the sides of this hexagon, it must be borne in mind, however. 



