125 So, in her wane of beauty, NINON won
        With fatal smiles her gay unconscious son.—­

[Gloriosa. l. 119.  Superba.  Six males, one female.  The petals of this beautiful flower with three of the stamens, which are first mature, stand up in apparent disorder; and the pistil bends at nearly a right angle to insert its stigma amongst them.  In a few days, as these decline, the other three stamens bend over, and approach the pistil.  In the Fritillaria Persica, the six stamens are of equal lengths, and the anthers lie at a distance from the pistil, and three alternate ones approach first; and, when these decline, the other three approach:  in the Lithrum Salicaria, (which has twelve males and one female) a beautiful red flower, which grows on the banks of rivers, six of the males arrive at maturity, and surround the female some time before the other six; when these decline, the other six rise up, and supply their places.  Several other flowers have in similar manner two sets of stamens of different ages, as Adoxa, Lychnis, Saxifraga.  See Genista.  Perhaps a difference in the time of their maturity obtains in all these flowers, which have numerous stamens.  In the Kahnia the ten stamens lie round the pistil like the radii of a wheel; and each anther is concealed in a nich of the corol to protect it from cold and moisture; these anthers rise separately from their niches, and approach the pistil for a time, and then recede to their former situations.]

[Illustration:  Gloriosa Superba]

        Clasp’d in his arms she own’d a mother’s name,—­
        “Desist, rash youth! restrain your impious flame,
        “First on that bed your infant-form was press’d,
130 “Born by my throes, and nurtured at my breast.”—­
        Back as from death he sprung, with wild amaze
        Fierce on the fair he fix’d his ardent gaze;
        Dropp’d on one knee, his frantic arms outspread,
        And stole a guilty glance toward the bed;
135 Then breath’d from quivering lips a whisper’d vow,
        And bent on heaven his pale repentant brow;
        “Thus, thus!” he cried, and plung’d the furious dart,
        And life and love gush’d mingled from his heart.

The fell SILENE and her sisters fair,
140 Skill’d in destruction, spread the viscous snare.

[Silene. l. 139.  Catchfly.  Three females and ten males inhabit each flower; the viscous material, which surrounds the stalks under the flowers of this plant, and of the Cucubulus Otites, is a curious contrivance to prevent various insects from plundering the honey, or devouring the seed.  In the Dionaea Muscipula there is a still more wonderful contrivance to prevent the depredations of insects:  The leaves are armed with long teeth, like the antennae of insects, and lie spread upon the ground round the stem; and are so irritable, that when an insect creeps upon them, they fold up, and crush or pierce it to death.