ON COFFEE. 



J.N my inquiries i)ito the nature of feveral kinds of feeds, I examined, 

 among others, thofe which are called Cotiee Beans, which are much 

 in life in this country, for preparing the well known drink of that 

 name. 



I was firft defirous to know in what part of thefe feeds the young 

 plant was placed, and for this purpofe I procured fome entire coffee 

 beans, inclofed in their original hufk or Ihell. 



In Plate ^-fg- 4, E, F is reprefented this nut, hufk, or fliell, in 

 which are two of thefe coffee beans, divided by a membrane, or par- 

 tition : for, that which at firft fight appears as a fingle feed, does in 

 fail confift of two diftin(^l beans or feeds, lying in regular order 

 befide each other, juft as we obferve two kernels in an almond, a 

 filbert, or an apricot. 



In Z^-. 5, G H, is (hewn the nut or fhell, opened on one fide, fliew- 

 ing how the two beans lie with their flat fides next each other ; G, 

 is that part which was joined to the plant, and from \\ hence the feed 

 derived its nourifliment, and H, is the end where the young plant is 

 formed in the feed: fg. 6,1 K, is a coffee-bean lying with its flat 

 fide upwards. 



I cut a flice from one of thefe beans, at the end marked I, and 

 caufed a figure of it to be drawn, fomewhat magnified, only to fliew 

 the place where the young plant lies. 



Fig. 7, L M N, is this flice, and at O is to be feen the part of the 



