( 172 ) 



thus cut tranfverfely, and magnified, to be delineated, it ^vould have 

 occupied too much Ipace in the paper ; and therefore, I only inckided 

 lb much of tlie mealy part of the grain, as is exprefled between the 

 letters, a, D, G, F, c. 



I have given afigure of the veflcls compofingthe external fliell, hufk, 

 or covering of Wheat, becaufe, contrary to what is generally obferved, 

 they do not end in a tubular fliape, but grow out into a kind of hairs. 



Fig. 3, G H 1 K L M reprefents a very fmall piece of this outward 

 hulk, which, when ground, and i'eparated from the meal, is denomi- 

 nated Bran. Here, not only are to be feen the multitudes of velTels 

 whereof it confifls, but alfo, hov/ at their extremities, they grow out 

 beyond the grain, and terminate in hairy points, as at I K L. 



The fecond membrane, lying within the firft, exhibits a cu- 

 rious fpe6lacle, on account of the tranfverfe courfe of the vellels, in a 

 different direction from the former; and atfg. 4, ABCDEF,is fhewn 

 an exceeding i'mall particle of it, wherein, though it is no more than 

 can be covered by a grain of fand, the wonderful courfe of thofe nume- 

 rous minute veflels is plainly to be feen. And, as it is truly faid, that 

 nothing is made in vain, we cannot fufhciently admire this, and fimilar 

 obje f^ s , when viewed by the microfcope. 



In the fame figure, at D and E, may be feen fome of thofe globules 

 which compofe the mealy fub fiance of Wheat, lying within, what feemed 

 to me at firft, an exquifitely thin pellicle, like a third membrane, 

 but was, in reality, only the finer part of the meal. 



I many times endeavoured to trace in the young plant, while in the 

 feed, the veflige or firfl formation of the ear, but all my endeavours, 

 even with the alhflance of my microfcopes, were fruitlefs, though I 

 was well afHired in my own mind, that it did there exift : at length, to 

 fatisfy myl'elf, if poflible, in this refpedt, I took a fmall brafs box, and 

 almolt filled it with that fort of white fand called fcowering fand, 

 onthefurfaceof whichi placed, upright, about fixteen grains of Wheat, 



