Xll INTRODUCTION* 
fpiral Gphrys with immaculate white flowers, the 
Idmodorum, Arethufa pulcherrima, Sarracenia pur- 
purea, Sarracenia galeata, Sarracenia lacunofa, 
Sarracenia flava. Shall we analyze thefe beautiful 
plants, fmce they feem cheerfully to invite us ? How 
greatly the flowers of the yellow Sarracenia repre- 
lent a filken canopy ? the yellow pendant petals are 
the curtains, and the hollow leaves are not unlike 
the cornucopia or Amalthea’s horn; what a quan- 
tity of water a leaf is capable of containing, about 
a pint! tafte of it— how cool and animating — lim- 
pid as the morning dew : nature feems to have fur- 
nifhed them with this cordated appendage or lid, 
which turns over, to prevent a too fudden and 
copious fupply of water from heavy fhowers of rain, 
which would bend down the leaves, never to rife 
again; becaufe their fbraight 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 wafted by the winds, 
which adventitioufly find their way into them, when 
a blad of wind fhifts the lid: fee thefe fhort diff 
hairs, they all point downwards, which direct the con- 
denfed vapours down into the funiculum; thefe diff 
hairs alfo prevent the varieties of infebts, which are 
caught, from returning, being invited down to flip the 
mellifluous exudation, from the interior furface of the 
tube, where they inevitably perifn ; 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 favannas liable to 
overflows, from rain water: for although I am not 
of 
