OBJECTS FOR THE MICROSCOPE. 335 



VEGETABLES. 



Seeds of Plants aftord many pleasing objects, as well as the leaves, 

 &c. : they shoukl be giunmed to paper, as directed for Insects. 



Moss. — This, in the winter months, shonld always be collected and 

 carefully examined, as it not only furnishes many curious subjects 

 of itself, but likewise harbours many very beautiful insects, minute 

 shells, &-C. 



Farina or the Pollen of Plants aftbrds some curious subjects, and is 

 well deserving of a further investigation. In the sixth volume of the 

 Transactions of the Linnean Society is given an Account of a Micro- 

 scopical investigation of several species of Pollen, with some Peniarks and 

 Questions on the structure and use of that part oj' vegetables. By Luke 

 HouHird, Esq. from tvhich the following is extracted. 



" I began my observations," says Mr. Howard, " with the Hazel- 

 tree {Corylus Avellanu). On a calm dry day I shook off sopie of the 

 pollen from the expanded catkins upon a clean piece of writing-paper : 

 I also gathered some of the catkins and female buds. These I viewed 

 separately on a clear plate of glass, usually transmitting the light 

 through them from a speculum below, and with different magnifying 

 powers, preferring those which, without enormously enlarging the ob- 

 jects, gave a clear view of the structure and position of several at once. 

 " 1. Corylus Avellana. — Anthers furnished with transparent horn- 

 like appendages. Pollen crumbles from the surface, and is sometime-» 

 so abundant as to tall in a visible cloud on the slightest motion of a 

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

 laid on the glass plate and viewed with the lens, No. 4; some appear 

 of an irregular angular ^.hape, opake, except in one or two parts, where 

 light passing presents the appearance of a perfcu-ation ; others nearly 

 spherical, the surface divided by depressed lines into a number of con- 

 vex facets. The transparency of these is such, that they reflect the 

 image of a small object held under them, as well as a drop of liquid. 

 On repeating the examination, the former are found to come from the 

 most mature anthers, and to differ from tlie latter only as a raisin does 

 from a grape. A clear drop of distilled water being put on the gla*.s, 

 both kinds imbibe it v/ith the avidity of a sponge, at tlie same time 

 distending and spreading abroad in tlie water, but without any motion 

 further than that which this expansion causes. When saturated with 

 the water they remain at the bottom, clear as the liquid itself, and all 

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

 in a dry state. They are now seen to be multilocular capsules, having 

 septa in various directions within them, the union of which with the 

 external membrane appears at the angles in the dry state, and at die 

 depressed lines in the wet. 



