( '71 )- 



The reafon why thefe membranes appear at fo great a diftance from 

 HI K, tlie tliree young plants, is, that this grain of Wheat was very 

 much dried, and therefore, in the cutting, the membranes were eafily 

 feparated from tlie farinaceous part, where the young plants are 

 placed ; but when the plants and the mealy fubftance, lying in the 

 fpace marked by the letters DHIKP'GD, are a little moiftened, 

 they very foon fwell fo much, as to fill up the whole fpace HEKI. 

 This, however, is the cafe in but few grains of Wheat, for, when the 

 young plants, and the fubftance wherein they lie, contract in drying, 

 the membranes which inclofe them contract likewife, they being, 

 generally, all clofely united or adhering together. 



At the letters H 1 K, are Ihewn tlie three beginning ftalks, or roots, 

 of the future plants, as cut tranfverfely ; and, in thefe, the vellels 

 would have been much more confpicuous than here reprefented, had 

 it not been, that in the cutting them (although the knife I ufed was 

 very fharp) they were filled up or fiopped ; but, though by moiften- 

 ing, and then cutting them, the veflels appeared more diftindt, yet, 

 no fooner did the moiilure evaporate, than they contracted themfelves 

 in luch an irregular manner, as to be much lefs confpicuous than at 

 iirft. And, as to thofe which were vifible, the limner continually com- 

 plained, that it was impolFible for him to reprefent in his drawing, the 

 multitudes of (lender vellels which he law. 



The fubftance wherein the young plants of W'heat are contained, 

 (which is very little in quantity) appears of a difierent colour from 

 the mealy part of the grain, by reafon, that the globules \^ hich com- 

 pofe it, are not, fmgly, fo pellucid, and therefore do not, altogether, ap- 

 pear fo white, as the meal which compofes the greateft part of 

 AMieat. And thefe two fubftances are divided from each other, by a 

 third, of a Aill brighter colour than the white meal, as in the figure 

 is fliewn at D G F. 



If, in this figure, I had caufed the whole circumference of the grain, 



Y 2 



