INTRODUCTION. 
xiii 
it— how cool and animating — limpid as the morning 
dew : nature feems to have furnifhed them with this 
cordated appendage or lid, which turns over, to 
prevent a too fudden and copious fupply of water 
from heavy mowers of rain, which would bend down 
the leaves, never to rife again ; becaufe their ftraight 
parallel nerves, which extend and fupport them, 
are fo rigid and fragile, the leaf would inevitably 
break when bent down to a right angle ; therefore I 
fuppofe the waters which contribute to their fupply, 
are the rebounding drops or horizontal dreams waft- 
ed by the winds, which adventitiouily find their way 
into them, when a blafh of wind fhifts the lid : fee 
thefe fhort (lift hairs, they all point downwards, 
which direct the condenfed vapours down into the 
funiculum ; thefe ftirT hairs alfo prevent the varieties 
of infecls, which are caught from returning, being 
invited down to lip the mellifluous exudation, from 
the interior furface of the tube, where they inevitably 
perifh ; what quantities there are of them ! Thefe 
latent waters undoubtedly contribute to the fupport 
and refrefhment of the plant : perhaps defigned as a 
refervoir in cafe of long continued droughts, or other 
cafualties, fince thefe plants naturally dwell in low 
fav annas liable to overflows, from rain water : for 
although 1 am not of the opinion that vegetables re- 
ceive their nourishment only through the afcending 
part of the plant, as the ft em, branches, leaves, kc. - y 
and that their descending parts, as the root and 
fibres, only ferve to hold and retain them in their 
places ; yet I believe they imbibe rain and pews 
through their leaves, Hems, and branches, by ex- 
tremely minute pores, which open on both furfaces 
of the leaves and on die branches, which mav com- 
rnunicate to little auxilary duels or veffels ; or, per- 
haps the cool dews and mowers, by conflricling thefe 
pores, and thereby preventing a too free perfpiration, 
may 
