( ^99 ) 



C'lefnut is performed in tlie lame way, contrary to wliat is obferved 

 in tlie leeds of nuts, plumbs, and the like, the Ihells of which, as the 

 vegetation of the kernel advances, divide and open themfelves. 



Moreover, I cut off I'everal pieces from the hard fliell of tlie Cocoa- 

 nut, fome of them longitudinally, fome tranfverfelv, in order to Iliew 

 tjie texture of it, as feen by the rnicrofcope. This Is reprefented at 

 fg. lo, IKLMN, in the inner part of which is a vein or veflel di- 

 viding itCelf into many fmaller ones. 



I next proceeded to exajnine a thin membrane or fl;in, which 

 lines the infide of this hard fliell. An incredible number of veflels 

 ^^■hich may be feen by the naked eye, are difperfed tlirough this 

 membrane ; the hard ihell is of a dark colour, vere:ine towards a 

 black, and the membrane of a faint afli colour. I have often placed 

 pieces of this membrane before the microfcope, and could not, 

 without admiration, behold the almoll incredible number of fmall ob- 

 long parts therein, which were heaped one on anotlier, in fuch vari- 

 ous manners that I could not conje6lure for wliat ufe they were de- 

 figned ; but they all conlifted of fpiral parts, fuch as are deicribed in 

 Jig. 6, at O P. Thefe parts were fo exquifitely flender, that upon 

 comparing them with a vein taken from the breafl of a flea, which I 

 had Handing before a microfcope, I found that the vein (which was 

 alfo of a fpiral form) was about four ti nues as large as thefe comix)- 

 jieiit parts of the membrane, and I could not futticiently wonder at 

 the multitude of thole fpiral parts, 



I have alio often placed before the microfcope, thofe capillaments 

 which in breaking the rtiell I found adhering to it by one of their ex- 

 tremities, merely for the pleafure of contemplating the objecl:; for, a 

 capillament no larger than an hair, would be feen to conhlt of twenty 

 filaments, the fmalleil of which I judged to be Id's than the thread 

 Ipuii.by the filk worm. So that, if we would compute the whole 



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