240 
Mr Murray on the Phenomena 
that the radiant disc reflected heat into the interior of the 
flower ; and the author of the 44 Botanic Garden” considered 
the petals as the lungs of the blossom. 
We witness the flower of the plant unfolding its blossom to 
welcome the orient beam, and when the shadows of the evening 
close around it, we see it fold up its drapery, and droop and 
decline. The Helianthus seems to trace with its radiant corolla 
the march of the sun ; and we see the daisy open its golden eye 
to the solar ray. It is clear, then, that there is a relation be- 
tween the disc of the flower and the sunbeam. 
The coloured petals appear to drink deep at the solar fount, 
and to maintain a temperature in correspondence with their tints 
and relation to the prismatic colours. Consequently, the flowers 
indigenous to an 44 ultima Thule? will preserve that tempera- 
ture inviolate, 44 amid an atmosphere with ice still lingering in 
its veins,” while those plants which bear the same beauteous 
tapestry, and glow in more brilliant and richer dyes, under a 
vertical and burning sun, will absorb no more. When the sun 
is concealed, then those flowers will radiate temperature, and 
be completely shut, so soon as it amounts to that of the ambient 
medium. 
The colours peculiar to arctic and antarctic regions, as well 
as those which decorate alpine scenery, considered relatively 
with those which adorn the plants of equatorial climes, — -nay, 
even the early flowers which beautify our spring, will be found 
in the utmost harmony with this view. The snowdrop first ap- 
pears on the scene, not even daring to lift its eye to a cold and 
watery sun, — the external white of the corolla, the worst ra- 
diator, will reflect none of that which the golden cup within 
has imbibed from the illuminated medium while the autumnal 
crocus has its blue insignia in accord with the declining sun ; 
and as it emerges from the earth, the bud is white , because 
otherwise, as it could have received nothing from light, so it 
could lose nothing by radiation, without certain injury. 
So soon as the solar ray strikes the crimson tips of the daisy 
( i . e. the 44 eye of day”), it begins to unfold its bloom to the in- 
fluential temperature of the sunbeam, and it shuts up its snowy 
corolla in the evening, to protect the acquired warmth of the 
day from further reduction. 
