( 176 ) 



This plant, rcprefented at fg. 7, I cut open, and took in pieces, 

 until I perceived the fmalleft leaves of all, which as I may lay, lur- 

 rounded the ear ; thefe alio I took oft", and then the ear itfelf was 

 vilible, which, viewed through the microl'cope, appeared as s.tjig. 8, 

 ABCDE. But, I did not deliver this Object to the Limner, until I 

 had diile61:ed Icveral of the young plants, and found, that they were 

 all exa6lly of the fame figure. 



At the expiration of nine days from this time, I examined more of 

 the young blades of Wheat, but did not perceive any change in the 

 ear worthy of note, excejn that it was grown fomewhat higher from 

 the root, and that the joints or knots in the ftalk, were more plainly 

 to be dillinguilhed. 



The ftems or Ilalks of \\'heat, which, after the grain has been 

 threlhed out from the ear, are denominated Straw, appear to the eye 

 wonderfully fmooth and Ihining, the outer coat of them being compoled 

 for the greater part, of ved'els incredibly flender, with here and there 

 a few larger ones intermixed ; the inner part is com))ofed of larger 

 vedels, all which I have rcprefented as nearly as pollible to Nature, 

 in the following figure. 



Fig. 9, ABCDE F is a very fmall piece of Straw, cut tranfverfely, 

 and fcen throughjthe micro fcope : any pcrfon,by confidering what pro- 

 portion the arch, or curved external part of it, marked A F, bears to a 

 circle, and, comparing the fame with fo much of the known diameter 

 of a Straw, may ealily conceive the natural fize of the particle here 

 rcprefented. 



ABEF, is the hark or outer coat, compoled of the vefTels 

 before deicribed ; GGGG, are the veflels of which the inner part for 

 the moft part confifts ; .they are of four, five, and fix fides, according 

 as, at their firft formation, their fliape is accommodated to thofe ad- 

 joining them. 



HHHH, are vefTels intermixed with the laft mentioned ones, and 



