INTRODUCTORY OBSERVATIONS. Isl 



of alternate angles, and at each is a globule ; or it 

 is intricate and confufed below, but with fruit fur- 

 rounding the extreniities. The figure of the glo- 

 bule is various ; fome are fpherical, fome flattilli, 

 and others a perfed cone. 



All mould certainly ought not to be claflfed a- 

 mong fungous plants. I have feen feveral fpecies 

 which rather appeared to belong to graffes : and 

 oftener than once,, 1 have thought flowers were 

 perceptible. The Cryptogamia formed an immenfe 

 pit, into which every plant of obfcure origin, 

 little known, or imperfeOiiy defcribed, was thrown. 

 It only requires attention and experiment to dif- 

 cover the real properties of bodies, and thus to 

 affign them their proper place. It appears indu- 

 bitable that fome kinds of mould belong to ge- 

 nera of plants whofe larger fpecies are well 

 known ; but there may alfo be many which ex- 

 hibit peculiarities to be found in none other. 

 The knowledge of this beautiful part of botany is 

 in its infancy : diminutive objeds are too apt to 

 be confidered as undeferving of notice j but to 

 the philofopher all the works of nature are pleaf-» 

 ing and interefting. 



Animal Reproduction.— -In ail the field 

 of natural hiftory there is no fubjed more 

 extraordinary than animal reprodudions. Ge- 

 neration 



