From the mountain-tops could be seen plants which were neither trees nor flowers, whose slender stalks rose to an enormous height; the branched stems bearing, as though with outstretched arms, great tulip-shaped cups. These plants were alive, or as much so as our sensitive growths, perhaps more, and like the _desmodium_, with its moving leaves, showed their internal impressions by their motions. These groves formed actual vegetable cities. The inhabitants of this world had no other dwellings, but reposed among the fragrant sensitive-plants when not floating in the air. [Illustration] "This seems a very strange world to you," said Urania; "you are wondering what kinds of ideas, habits, or history these people could have,--what kinds of arts, literature, and sciences. It would take a long time to answer all the questions you might ask. Know only that their eyes are superior to your finest telescopes; that their nervous system vibrates at the passing of a comet, and discovers by an electric sense facts which you on the Earth will never know. The organs which you see under their wings serve as hands, more skilful than yours. Instead of printing, they take the direct photography of events and the phonetic impression of words. They care very little for anything but scientific research; that is to say, the study of Nature. The three passions which absorb the greater part of earthly life--eager greed for fortune, political ambition, and love--are unknown to them, because they require nothing to live on, there are no international divisions nor government, except a council of administration, and because they are androgynous." "Androgynous!" I repeated; and ventured to add, "Is that best?" "It is _different_. It is a great deal of trouble saved to a humanity."