( 60 ) 



Thcll* obfervatioiis recalled to my mind (for I compare thofe 

 feeds with thofe eggs which I have heretofore taken out of the bo- 

 dies of fomc infects) that in fome of the eggs fo extracted, I did 

 not find any fnbftance dellined to the nourilhment of an animal, 

 but, iullead of it, perfcd and hving animals. For in like manner 

 as in thofe eggs, while yet in the parent's body, a perfedl young 

 one is formed, lo the Cotton tree produces in its feeds not only the 

 leaves of the young ])lant, even while the feeds are yet on the 

 tree, but that part in (he feed irom whence the root and Hem are 

 to be produced, is in this leed uncommonly large. 



And in like manner as with regard to the eggs of the infedls, 

 I have mentioned, that as foon as the young one has broken the 

 egg, it immediately comes forth and runs, creeps, or fwims about ; 

 fo the leaves in this feed having received the moifture requifite for 

 their growth, do fwell and enlarge themfelves until the thin fkin 

 wherein they are inclofed burfts or cracks, and the leaves then 

 expanding, that part whence the root and llcm will proceed grow 

 to a futficient length to draw its nourifliment from the earth. In a 

 word, fome infe6ls are perfetl in their eggs before they are voided 

 by the parent, and the plant in the fe^d of the Cotton tree is per- 

 fect, and requires no nourifliment to be provided for it when it is 

 of fuflicient maturity to quit the tree. 



I cut a flice tranfvcrfely from that part whence the root and 

 ftem derive their origin, and caufed a drawing of it to be made 

 from the microfcope, for no other reafon than bccaulc the internal 

 part containing the veflels, which iji others is of a round or oval 

 figure, is in this a figure of eight fides, four of which are fome- 

 what curved, as at fig. 25, A BCD, which was full of pores: the 

 part furrounding it, which appears at E F G H, was very white, 

 and in it I could not difcern any pores. The outward part or 

 compartment, I KLM, both in pores and in its white colour was 

 fimilar to the internal one, with this difference only, that the pores 

 in the inner one were fomewhat larger. And though the greateft 



