184 -^1/^. Belaval on- the Caufe of 'the 



Tranfparent Coloured Matter, the light which is 

 refleifted from the white ground. 



For it appears, from the preceding experiments, 

 that no reflexive power refides in any of the?r 

 component parts, except in their ivhile matter 

 only. 



This white matter frequently exifts, without 

 any confiderable mixture, -in plants, while they 

 are in a ftate of vegetation : as in cotton, white 

 flowers, the pith, wood, feeds, roots, and other 

 parts, of feveral kinds of vegetables. 



When decayed trees, and other plants, havt 

 been long expofed to the weather, after they 

 have ceafcd to derive nourilhment from the 

 earth; their coloured juices are apt to be ex- 

 haufled by the aftion of the rain, air, and fun; 

 by which means the remaining fubftance becomes 

 perfedly bleached. 



The white matter of all vegetables is com- 

 pofed principally of an earth. Their aJhes 

 confift of this earth, feparated from the inflam- 

 mable, and evaporable parts, to which they 

 owed their colours. 



I have rendered afhes intenfely white, by 

 carefully calcining them; and afterwards gritid- 

 ing them with a fmall proportion of nitre, and 

 expofing this mixture to fuch a degree of heat, 

 as caufed the nitre to deflagrate with the fmall 

 particles 6f coal which remained unburntj and 

 ladly, by difTolving, in marine acid, thq 



ferruginouSi 



