( ^98 ) 



mine tlie texture of this hufk or bark, when I found, tliat not a tenth 

 part of it confilled of thofc filaments, but that, from them proceeded 

 a certain fubftance, like a colle6lion of veficles, which veficles, while 

 the fruit was living on the tree, had been filled with juices, in like 

 manner as thofe parts which, colle6led in great numbers, from the 

 fubfiance of the pear called the Sugar pear, do proceed from the 

 veins or velTels in that pear. 



To convey a true idea of the formation of this external coat, 

 hufk, or covering, of the Cocoa-nut, I caufed a drawing to be 

 made from the microfcope of a very fmall piece of it, as is to be 

 I'een in fg. 8, M N O P O. Here, N P O denote the capillaments, 

 which may more properly be called veflels ; they are each inclofed 

 in ii larger one, which larger one is compofed of numbers of minute 

 velTels. 



It is well known, that all fruits, and even the fmallefi leaves, are 

 covered with a fkin, which, that it may prevent the exhalation of the 

 juices, is of a very clofe texture. This external coat or hufk of the 

 Cocoa-nut has that kind of ficin, which, as it appears through the 

 microfcope, is exhibited in^^. 9, ABCDEFGH, where are fliewn 

 ns exadtly as may be, the vefTels running along this fkin, and con- 

 ne6led with the internal part of the hufk, as for example, as B D E, 

 A E, and H G. A branch proceeding from the velTel B E, is repre- 

 fenled at C D. 



In the fhell of tlie nut, pictured ?i\.fg. 7, there are three parts 

 fomewhat rcfembling eyes, two of which point towards each 

 other, the third contains the young plant, which, when the kernel 

 begins to \egetate, flioots out through that cavit3^ And this young 

 plant in its vegetation receives nourifhmcnt from the kernel, through 

 thclJ2 perforations I have called eyes, until it is able to draw its nou-* 

 rilhment from the earth, and this, without there being a necefllty 

 for the Ihell of the nut to break or open. The vegetation of the 



