78 Mr. Brown's Observations on the 



branches ; but in other cases, where they are equally distinct at 

 the base of the tube, this supposition cannot be admitted. A 

 nionopetalous corolla not splitting at the base is necessarily con- 

 nected Avith this structure, which seems also peculiarly weli 

 adapted to the dense inflorescence of Compositse ; the vessels of 

 the corolla and stamina being united and so disposed as to be 

 least liable to suffer by pressure." 



At the date of this publication I certainly had no knowledge of 

 any similar observations having been previously made: but I now 

 see in M. Cuvier's account of the proceedings of the Institute of 

 France for 1815, that M. Cassini is considered as having antici- 

 pated me on this subject, and as he says in " termes non equivo- 

 ques." What these terms arc, appears by a letter I have received 

 from M. Cassini himself, in which he states his claim to rest ou 

 the following passage : 



"Chaque fleur hermaphrodite ou male contient cinq etamines, 

 correspondant aux cinq nervures de la Corolle et jJar consequent 

 alternes avec ses lobes." 



This passage occurs in a Memoir on the Stamina of Compositaj, 

 which was read to the Institute of France in July 1813, and first 

 appeared M'ith the substance of that Memoir in the Journal de 

 Physique, said to be for April 1814; but the actual date of the 

 publication of which I have reason to believe was somewhat 

 later, and very nearly corresponding with that at which M. de 

 Jussieu was in possession of a copy of my essay containing 

 the observations already quoted. I conclude it is not supposed 

 I could have been acquainted with the passage in the original 

 memoir, unless the report usually made on memoirs read to the 

 Institute should have been printed, and should have actually no- 

 ticed this passage or the discovery it is now said to contain. 



But independently of the near equality of dates, I cannot con- 

 sider 



