
94 THE NORTHERN MICROSCOPIST. 

to us. A grass has been proved to possess a power of sight such as many 
human beings lack. It has turned with perfect exactness towards a light too 
dim for most of them to discern; and it can feel and turn from surfaces rough 
and hard to the touch. So remarkable is its capacity in this latter respect that 
a part of it has been seriously compared to the brain. A troublesome weed is 
to a naturalist a conquest or a victor in its own realm ; one who has trampled 
out all its competitors by vigour and skill, and who is ready to fight again, even 
with man, in order to uphold its own well-won predominance. Pluck it up, it 
comes again. ‘To its perseverance is due its abundance and luxuriance. Other 
plants thrive, not from their own energies, but from a whole chain of various 
external circumstances. The red clover depends for its success in life on cats. 
This plant requires for its healthy growth to be cross-fertilised, that is that the 
pollen of one plant should be transferred to the stigma of another. This is done 
not by the hive-bees, but by the humble-bee. The more numerous humble- 
bees, and the better for the red clover. Now, humble-bees are largely preyed 
upon by field-mice, who, therefore, are injurious to the plant. But field-mice 
are destroyed by cats. Thus, cats are serviceable to red clover by keeping 
down animals that are, though indirectly, yet seriously hurtful to it. The same 
is true of heartsease. Hence, red clover flourishes best in the neighbourhood 
of houses. Some plants exhibit wonderful sensitiveness in different ways. The 
common crocus can feel a change of temperature of even one degree of the 
ordinary thermometer. This has been proved by the movement of its petals. 
Few of us could discern so slight a variation. But a plant, in some places 
abundant, and to be found not very far from this, exceeds this sensitiveness, as 
regards another faculty, namely, that of taste. This plant, whose nature is, in 
other respects also, truly marvellous, can taste the twenty-millionth part of a 
grain of a certain chemical substance. No imagination could have dreamt of 
this. It is a conclusion arrived at, nay forced upon the discoverer, from re- 
peated and vigorous experiments. The plant showed no movement when 
immersed in pure water, but in water so diluted as to contain but that incon- 
ceivably small part of a grain, it showed a certain characteristic motion. With 
what feelings trees may come to be regarded, we may judge by the saying of 
one eminent Lancashire man to another—the celebrated Professor Joule to Mr. 
Binney—“‘ A man who can take pleasure in felling a noble tree must be destitute 
of the finer feelings of humanity.” The sunbeams, which are to us so transient, 
are by those wonderful creatures—trees—stored up for ages. They can retain 
the sun’s light and heat. And afrofos of this storing up by trees and other 
plants, it may be truly said that some ladies in this room are wearing in their 
dresses sunbeams shed millions of years ago. Some great benefactors to our 
race, hitherto unknown, have lately been recognised. Who are these? Again 
nature tells us a tale transcending all romance. The worm that crawls along 
the field is this human benefactor. The rich and fertile mould is in a great 
measure due to these creatures, who have been proved, by actual weight, to 
have thrown up ona single acre more than 18% tons of castings in one year. 
It is these creatures, too, who cover over in time rocky or stony fields with 
productive soil. Insects play also their parts in the naturalist’s world of won- 
ders. To them is due indirectly the bright colour of flowers. In order to 
attract them, flowers have learned to dress themselves in brilliant hues—hues 
which they have acquired the art to steal from the sun. Passing over other 
countless marvels—marvels ever increasing in number and in degree with the 
glorious advance of knowledge—no marvel can equal that luminary just men- 
tioned. Should he condescend to shine upon the Naturalists’ excursion, he 
alone would suffice to supply boundless subject for thought. ‘Our Society is 
then,” continued the speaker, ‘a truly philanthropic one. Its object is to 
promote genuine human enjoyment by furnishing men and women with an 
unfailing, an inexhaustible source of amusement and interest. There can be no 
tedium of life to one who enters thoroughly into its spirit. You, ladies and 
