MELONS, CYC AS, &c. 259 



ed for a very long while. Since I read the history of 

 this experiment, I have found it easy in many plants to 

 tell by the appearance of the stigma whether the seed be 

 fertilized or not. The above experiment is the more 

 important, as the abbe Spallanzani has recorded one 

 made by himself upon the same species of plant, with a 

 contrary result. But as he has said nothing of the ap- 

 pearance of the stigmas, his experiment must yield to 

 that of Linnaeus in point of accuracy ; and even if his 

 account be otherwise correct, the result is easily ex- 

 plained. Hemp, Spinach, some Nettles, he, naturally 

 dioecious, are occasionally not completely so, a few latent 

 barren or fertile flowers being frequently found among 

 those of the other sort, by which provision is made 

 against accidents, and the perfecting of a few seeds, at 

 any rate, secured. 



In general, germens whose stigmas have not received 

 the pollen wither away without swelling at all, but some 

 grow to a considerable size, and in such the substance 

 of the seed, its skin, and even its cotyledons, are often to 

 be found, the embryo only being wanting. In a Melon 

 or Cucumber it is common to find, among numerous 

 perfect seeds, many mere unimpregnated husks. In 

 the magnificent Ci/cas revoluta, which bore fruit at the 

 bishop of Winchester's, and of which a history with 

 plates is given in the sixth volume of the Linnsean So- 

 ciety's Transactions, I found the drupa and all its con- 

 tents apparently perfect, except that there was only a 

 minute cavity where the embryo should have been, in 

 consequence of the want of another tree with stamens, 

 which was not to be found perhaps nearer than Japan. 



