&{ On the Fructification of Seeds. 
within the passage of the three leaves, which I have repeatedly 
discovered deeply tinted, though affected principally by means of 
the outward skin of the stamen, which in the rubbing has got 
mixed with the pollen powder. 
The first thing to be assured of, is the mark which proves 
that the seed is really perfected. This sign is most plain, and is 
the same in every seed, never varying. Iti is a line which passes 
through the heart and seed, and then out again, touching that 
little branch which the corculum brought from the root with a 
sort of loop; the vessel then runs to the next seed, and so on, 
(see fig. 6.) gg are the seeds before impregnation, hh after. 
It will be seen that at ¢i7 the heart has not yet risen to the top 
of the seed, where it must get before the line can pass. There 
are often many stigmas and styles to one seed-vessel: the num- 
ber of divisions is proportionate ;—but this I shall leave. till 
I come to show the pericarp, as the cause of this arrangement 
is exquisitely beautiful ; formed and adapted by nature for the 
purpose of diminishing the space required, and secreting and 
confining in as little room as many seeds as possible. The art 
with which this is done (though the seeds change their form 
three or four times) is most wonderful, aud the deal of space 
left to give them free liberty can never be enough admired; some 
requiring tolay a part of their time in liquid, when the seeds are 
left quite in a trough, which they only fill up with solid matter 
when their outward cases grow. The manner in which the mid- 
dle pillar of the flower is left,—at such perfect liberty that it may 
have room for every motion, and for every increase, and also to 
admit the insect to seek the open nectary,—also merits particular 
observation. But the astonishing care ‘that has been taken to 
prevent the possibility of its approaching the secret nectary can- 
not be sufficieritly admired; as that would at once be robbing the 
flower of its future perfect seed, by preventing its impregnation. 
1 have repeatedly placed the pollen on different stigmas, to show 
exactly the time the seeds will be in receiving this appearance, 
shown at fig. 6, hh. Few seeds require more than three days ; 
the stone plants will, indeed, sometimes require a fortnight or 
three weeks, but rarely more: it is a great mistake to suppose 
that so much time is necessary. When the whole is performed, a 
total suspension of action takes place till the seed gets buried 
in the ground. The earth then forms a new stimulus. But seeds 
will rarely pass beyerd a certain point till they fall; and the in- 
terior of the seed always begins to grow two or three days at 
furthest after the line has passed up the seed, because the oxygen 
they directly yield is absolutely necessary to the growth of the 
embryo, which is now increas ing most wonderfully. 
The idea of the sced-leaf yielding food instead of gas was the 
most 
