On the Fossil Bofies of Hoi'ses and Wild Boars f 2 1 5 



tiieir perfect size in total independence of the male, ancl 

 the cicatricula, the vitellus, and the ctialazae have appeared 

 (I believe) to the most accurate observers, to be as well 

 organized in the iinimpregnated as in the impregnated 

 egg: in the seed, on the contrary, every thing relative to 

 its internal organization appears dependent on the male 

 parent. Spallanzani has, however, stated, that many 

 plants produced well organized seeds, and even seeds which 

 vegetated perfectly, under circumstances in which it is not 

 easy to conceive how the pollen of the male plant or flower 

 could have been present. But the Italian naturalist ap- 

 pears to have blundered most egrcgiously in his experiment; 

 or (which I conceive to he more probable) he became the 

 dupe of the refined malice of his countrymen ; for, I re- 

 peated his experiments under very favourable circumstances, 

 and with the closest. attention, but I fiiiled to obtain a single 

 seed. The gourd alone produced apparently perfect fruit, 

 and the seed-coats acquired their natural size and form; 

 and in this respect the growth of its seeds appeared to be> 

 like that of eggs, wholly independent of the influence of 

 the male. But the seed-coats of the gourd were perfectly 

 empty, and T could not discover, at any period of their 

 growth, the slightest vestige either of cotyledons, or plu- 

 mule, nor of any thing that appeared to correspond with 

 internal organization of a seed of the same plant, under 

 different circumstances. Spallanzani has not, I believe, 

 mentioned the species of gourd upon which he made his 

 experiments: the common, or orange gourd of our gardens, 

 was the subject of mine. 



In comparing the mode of the formation and growth of 

 eggs with the observations I had previously made on the 

 growth of seeds, I have been favoured with the very able 

 assistance of Mr. Carlisle, for which 1 have on this, as on 

 many other occasions, tg acknowledge much obligation. 

 1 am, my dear sit*, 



with great respect, sincerely vours, 



Downton. May 20, 1809. ThOMAS AnD. KnIGHT, 



OCXXVII. On the Fossil Bo?/es of Horses and Wild Boars, 

 By G. A. CuviER*. 



-I HE above are the only species of animals which remain 

 to be described, in order to complete the history of qua- 



f Jan. du Museiim, tome xiv. p, 83. 



O 4 drupeds 



