( i82 ) 



the Uxme, for, in them I could perceive a kind of flrcak or hollow, 

 whicli is oblervable on thofe iiairs. Thcfe ^parro^vs, i undcrftood, 

 during this feafon, when the ground was every where covered w'ltki 

 {'now, fought their food in the corn market, where they picked up 

 the grains which, in handling and \icwing the corn, had fallen to the 

 ground. 



In order to exhibit to the eye, the manner in which the hufks of 

 Wheat arc folded or clofed together, I caufcd a drawing to be made 

 from the microfcope, of a piece cut from the grain tranfverfely ; but 

 firft, to lliew the pofition of the chink or indenting, I ordered the lim- 

 ner to draw a figure of the entire grain, in its natural fize. This is 

 fliewn at fig. 1 4, wherein the fifllire, chink, or indenting, is denoted by 

 the letters N O. The line P O, indicates the part from which, with 

 a very fliarp knife, I cut feveral dices. 



Fig. 15, A B C D E, reprefents a part or flice of the hulk of Wheat, 

 inclofing the meal, cut off as above mentioned, and viewed through 

 the microfcope. A, is the part near that place in the grain, where 

 the young plant is fituated. GHFKI, are the two bendings in- 

 wards of the hufk, in a kind of circular courfe, the intent of which 

 formation doubtlefs is, that, when the grain fwells upon being 

 moiftened, the hufk may expand itfelf, and ftill preferve the meal in 

 its place : and by infpeclion of the i)art F, it will be feen, that the 

 hufk is not clofely united where the two bendings or flexures meet, 

 to the end, that when the meal expands itfelf ftill more, the two 

 fides of the hufk may recede from each other, and produce an open- 

 ing at that place. 



I have already defcribed the fize of the globules of meal, by com- 

 parilbn with larger and fmaller grains of fand. I alfo caufed fome 

 of thefe globules to be drawn, as feen through a microfcope of very 

 great magnifying power ; firft, to fliew more diftin6lly that they are 

 formed with a chink or crevice on them, next to exhibit to view the 



