246 ESSAYS ann OBSERVATIONS 
ual fcheme. For in /écale and triticum too, 
there are three /famina for one germen, both 
included within, and well covered by the 
fame hufks (be they a corolla or calyx, or both, 
no matter here) before the flowering time. 
Now if the duft be neceffary to the impreg- 
nation of the feed, and, in order to this, 
it muft fall on the ffigma; Why is not this 
accomplifhed, before the covers open? Why 
are the flamina fo long? Why do they 
thruft out the apices fo far from their figmata, 
and throw out, if not all, at leaft the great- 
eft part of their duft, in the common air? 
Does not all this look as if this duft, was not 
defigned by Nature for the impregnation of 
the feed? as is often noticed. 
“© Pluviae (fays Linnaeus) (n) combibunt 
‘pollen, ut in ftigmata cadere nequeat ; 
‘¢hortulanis notiflimum in drupiferis, (fo 
‘che calls the amygdalus, perfica, prunus, 
‘© armeniaca, cerafus, laurocerafus, &c.) et 
** pomiferis. Agricolis deteftabilis in agris 
“< fecalinis, (why. not alfo ¢riticeis?) Fu- 
‘© mus idem etiam facit, abforbendo humi- 
** dum ftigmatis.” So the /figmata muft nei- 
ther be wetted nor dried. But this is fully 
anfwered 
(z) Phil. Bot. Pp. OI. 
