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whether of wheat or barley, one or more ears bearded while all 

 the others were beardless ; and in the case of wheat, one ear of 

 the plant red-chaffed while all tlae rest of the ears had a white 

 •chaft'. Again, a white wheat sown on a fresh soil may at once 

 become red. The composite ear is most strikingly different from 

 ■all others in appearance, but I have found the ordinary ears 

 bifurcated and showing a tendency to the composite ear. 



This composite ear is what is popularly called " mummy 

 wheat," as having been jiroduced from grains of wheat taken out 

 of mummies. Xo illusion could he greater, for wheat will not 

 germinate after it is ten years old. The Pasha of Egypt, a few 

 years ago, liad this question fairly tried by opening several 

 mummies and planting the grains from them along the banks of 

 the Nile, with the result which I had confidently predicted, viz : — 

 that not a single grain showed any sign of germination. And 

 here I cannot refrain from giving you an anecdote relating to a 

 similar question told me by Dr. Hooker, the present President of 

 the Eoyal Society, when staying with me. It was this — The 

 tomb of a Roman soldier had been opened, and lying in a heap 

 upon the stomach of the body were found some raspberry seeds. 

 These upon being sown grew and produced raspberry plants 

 quite indistinguishable from the common p]nglish rasp1)erry. So 

 important was this considered that a book was specially published 

 upon the subject, and was at once accepted as a standard work 

 upon it. Subsequently Dr. Hooker was appointed hy the 

 ■Government (I think he said) to investigate the matter, and this 

 is what upon close inquiry he found. These seeds had been 

 •exhibited on a tray before the learned Societies at Burlington 

 House, and side by side with them, to show their jierfect 

 resemblance, a tray of the seeds of the ordinary English raspberry. 

 The numerous savans took up portions of the seeds to compare 

 them, the two of course became mixed, and the wonder was 

 exploded. 



Now if, as I have endeavoured to show, the characteristics 

 •apposed suJBiciently inherent and permanent to distuiguish 



