on" THE COROLLAS OF FLOWKRf. 1^7 



p<Mi*e<» ii» flowers. But I have now too deeply studied the pores ?up^jo««il 

 um to- be lou-er deceived. There are certuinly none. ^[^ "°^'^'^» ^"* 

 either lai*^e or small, above or belbw the petal. ^I'ake the Rose leaf c-j- 

 pHtal of a rose, and, drawing ott' the upper siiriace, divest- Tered wuh a 

 iiij^- it of as much pabulum aa possible, lay it on your iiuger, ^,ij"*g'"f ** 

 the under part uppermost; with a clean soft rafj rub the por«8, 

 part as long as you see any mark; and then place it on 

 the i^lass of the microscope. If, on being magnified, it 

 shows any black pieces, rub it again, and they will all dis- 

 appear; and you will iind its pinholes were merely the 

 impression of the apertures in the pabulum, which showed 

 through a skin of such extreme fineness, that it can be 

 compared only to gold beaters bkin; and that the surface 

 of the petdils is formed of this, and extremely thin pink 

 coloured bhnklers, in which no pores are to be found, 

 that are visible even with the solar microscope. Du Harael found also oa 



ihouMit he had found this sort of /slvin on the inside of the *^^ ".^^\^^" ?^ 



• II' T 1-' i*' 1- the rmd 01 



rmd ot trees and all plants: I pefore proved his conjecture tree? and 



true in this respect; which put an end to the possibility of P'^"^*» 

 branches and stems perspiring ; but I had no idea I should 

 fjfid this skin in flawiers. 1 have now in my sliders thirteen andapparentif 

 sorts of this skiiij' which keeps well, taken from suchdifter- *^" all flow ei». 

 rent orders antl classes of flowers, that I must believe it iit 

 universal in all. Perhaps, but for this skin, these thin and 

 flimsy flowers would ♦never be able to bear any heat^ and 

 the water in them would directly evaporate. It is very as-' 

 tonishing to consider how it can be preserved in such delicate 

 shapes. That there are airholes I do not in the least doubt. But it hai 

 though they cannot be perceived; for we have proof, that auhoiei. 

 vapour constantly escapes : but certainly no water, for a 

 fluid requires a much larger aperture. Therefore in flow- 

 ers perspiration and their imbibing the dew drops are both 

 mistakes. I have no doubt the hairs carry water, and the 

 dew, to the interior of the petal ; but, that no water can pass 

 through the skin, which I have just described, I have th« 

 most positive proof. 



Flowers give out no oxigen, but yield a great deal of Flowert yield 



other air, of so bad a quality that no candle can barn in it, "c» "^ '?<*""• J***' 



/ 7 . . . ^" aaotic kir 



mid which does not diminish nitrous acid. It is howevci cunt.unu:t; 



extremely moist ; and in the varioui trials I hava made, to "^"'^^^ moat- 



Vol. XXVUI — Maivch, i6ll. N eaJwavour 



