240 ESSAYS ArND OBSERVATIONS 



3. an. 3. for 1695", and 16^6, by M. B. 

 Valcntini, Here, the generation of plants 

 to be analogous to that of animals, he en- 

 deavours to fhew in eight particulars ; the 

 laft of which he calls the palmarium and 

 ponderojlfftmum argwnentum : And it is this, 

 ** Cercum eft," fays he, " ad animalium 

 " generationcm copulam utriufque fexus 

 *' exigi : Quae in plantis adeo quoque ne- 

 " ceflariaeftjUt fivel maris apices, vel foe- 

 " minarum ftyli, vel utraque deficiant, 

 " nulla proles fequi poflit : Ut in frumen- 

 " to turcico, cui juba praemature refeca- 

 *' tur, et mercuriali, mare a foemina fepa- 

 " rata, conftat." But then he propofes 

 three objedions againft his own dodlrine, 

 which are ftronger than all his arguments 

 for it; yea, the third plainly confutes it: 

 And they are thefe, as Valentini delivers 

 them : " imOj Plantae dantur apicibus co- 

 " piofis, aft nuUo ftylo praeditae ; adeo- 

 " que mares fine foeminis, ut in equifeto, 

 " lycopodio, 8cc. 2^0, Videtur e contrario 

 *' fibi obfervafTe foemininum fine pretenfo 

 " virili femine. ^tio, Mercurialis, fpina- 



" chiae, 



