66 Mr, Howard's Jccount of a Microfcoplail InveJIigafwn- 



of a branch. To the naked eye it is a fine yellow powder. A few 

 grains laid on the glafs plate and viewed with the lens No. 4, fonne^ 

 appear of an irregular angular ihape, opake, except in one or two- 

 parts, where light paffing prefents the appearance of a perforation; 

 others nearly fpherical, the furface divided by deprefTed Fines into 

 a number of convex facets. The tranfparcncy of tliefe is fuch, 

 that they reflect the image of a fmall obje(5l held under them, as 

 well as a drop of liquid. On repeating the examination, the former 

 are found- to come from the mofl: mature anthers, and to differ from 

 ' the latter only as a raifin does from a grape. 



A clear drop of diftilled water being put on the glafs, both kinds 

 imbibe it with the avidity of a fponge j at the fame time diftcnding 

 and fpreading abroad in the water, but without any motion further 

 than that which this expanfion caufes. When faturated vv'ith 

 water they remain at the bottom^ clear as the liquid itfelf^ and all 

 alike diftended to a bulk many times greater than their original one 

 in the dry flate. They are now feen to be multilocular capfules, hav- 

 ing fepta in various directions within th^m, the union of which with 

 the external membrane appears at the angles in the dry ftate, and 

 at the deprefTed lines in the wet. 



Thefe capfules may be kept in the water for feveral days without 

 any farther perceptible change. When that is dried up they return 

 to the opake ftate, and the fame operation may be feveral times re- 

 peated on them. 



In exhibiting this fpectacic to fome friends, pure water not being 

 juft at hand, a drop of brandy was fubftituted for it. This gave 

 rife to a phaenomenon equally curious and unexpe6fed. The grains 

 expand, as in water; but in the n^ean tim.e they <ire put into rapid 

 motion, each grain darting from fide to fide with the vivacity of a 

 fwarm of gnats in the air. As they approach to complete expanfion 

 the motion dies away, and one after another finks to the bottom. 



By 



