are continually in spontaneous
motion; some rising and others falling; and others whirling circularly by
twisting their stems; this spontaneous movement of the leaves, when the
air is quite still and very warm, seems to be necessary to the plant, at
perpetual respiration is to animal life. A more particular account, with
a good print of the Hedyfarum gyrans is given by M. Brouffonet in a paper
on vegetable motions in the Histoire de l'Academie des Sciences. Ann.
1784, p. 609.

There are many other instances of spontaneous movements of the parts of
vegetables. In the Marchantia polymorpha some yellow wool proceeds from
the flower-bearing anthers, which moves spontaneously in the anther,
while it drops its dust like atoms. Murray, Syst. Veg. See note on
Collinfonia for other instances of vegetable spontaneity. Add to this,
that as the sleep of animals consists in a suspension of voluntary
motion, and as vegetables are likewise subject to sleep, there is reason
to conclude, that the various actions of opening and closing their petals
and foliage may be justly ascribed to a voluntary power: for without
the faculty of volition, sleep would not have been, necessary to them.]

[Illustration: Hedysarum gyrans.]

Clasp'd round her ivory neck with studs of gold
Flows her thin vest in many a gauzy fold;
O'er her light limbs the dim transparence plays,
340 And the fair form, it seems to hide, betrays.

Where leads the northern Star his lucid train
High o'er the snow-clad earth, and icy main,
With milky light the white horizon streams,
And to the moon each sparkling mountain gleams.--
345 Slow o'er the printed snows with silent walk
Huge shaggy forms across the twilight stalk;
And ever and anon with hideous sound
Burst the thick ribs of ice, and thunder round.--
There, as old Winter slaps his hoary wing,
350 And lingering leaves his empire to the Spring,
Pierced with quick shafts of silver-shooting light
Fly in dark troops the dazzled imps of night--

[_Burst the thick rib of ice_. l. 348. The violent cracks of ice heard
from the Glaciers seem to be caused by some of the snow being melted in
the middle of the day; and the water thus produced running down into
vallies of ice, and congealing again in a few hours, forces off by its
expansion large precipices from the ice-mountains.]

"Awake, my Love!" enamou