ioo JOHN HILL 



than the observations themselves. Thus, judging from his 

 figures, he saw the contents of the pollen grain, the appearance 

 of which, under the conditions of observation, might easily 

 suggest the idea of an embryo. Also he noticed that the pollen 

 grains burst in a little while when placed in water, a phenomenon 

 which was rediscovered 138 years later 1 , and he therefore thought 

 that a similar bursting, with a consequent setting free of the 

 embryo, would take place on the wet stigma of the lily, for 

 example. 



Taxonomy. 



One of Hill's more interesting works in this branch of Botany 

 is his British Herbal^. In it are described a large number of 

 plants which are illustrated by 75 copper plates engraved by 

 various artists. None of these plates are of outstanding excel- 

 lence, indeed many of them are very poor, and their quality is 

 uneven. Those in the folio consulted by the present writer were 

 ruined by being coloured. 



The plants described are arranged on a system which is not 

 altogether without interest as it, in a small degree, foreshadows 

 later systems. It may be indicated by giving the characters of 

 the first four classes. 

 Class i. Plants whose flower consists of several petals, with 



numerous threads in the center, and is followed by a 



cluster of naked seeds. 

 Class 2. Plants whose flower consists of several petals, with 



numerous threads in the center, and whose seeds are 



contained in several pods. 

 Class 3. Plants whose flower consists of a single petal, and is 



succeeded by several capsules. 

 Class 4. Plants with the flower formed of a single petal, plain, 



and of a regular form and succeeded by a single capsule. 



It will be seen that Hill relied much on the characters of the 



corolla and the gynaeceum. But the chief interest in this work 



1 By Lindforss in 1896. 



2 The British Herbal ; an History of Plants, and Trees, natives of Britain, 

 cultivated for use, or raised for Beauty, London, 1756. 



