274 ESSAYS AND OBSERVATIONS 



rabilis peruviana, &c. * Does not the 

 paflion-flower keep open in the night as 

 well as day, until it fliut up for good and 

 all, and that whether it be fun-lhine or 

 rain? He add';, ** Secale florens anthcras 

 " filamentis infidentes exferit, quo tem- 

 ** pore, fi pluvia eadit, pollen congloba- 

 *' tur, hincque annonam difficilem augu- 

 " ratur agricola, nee immerito j grana 

 •• enim imminuuntur exinde, quod pleri- 

 ** que fiofcuU abortum paffi fint." That 

 fecale, triticum, many gramina, planta- 

 gines, pimpinellse, &c. thruft out the a- 

 pices on pretty long {lamina, when in 

 flower, I deny not ; but, that rain, 

 at that time, caufes fcarcity of any of 

 them, I never obferved : And, altho' it 

 were granted, that this commonly hap- 

 pens, how does it appear that rain caufes 

 the flolcuii to abort, or this abortion cau- 

 fes fcarcity of fecale ? Since, at the fame 

 time> the other plants are fufficiently fer- 

 tile, yea, the manner of flowering in fome 



of 



• •' Mirabilisen: planta quae tam fpeciofos flores, nofli 

 •' atrae objicit, et fereno diei fubtrahit." Lia. H. CliiF, 

 p. 54- 



