(i On the Physiology of Bolany. 



bud (see ddd, fig. 3), which seem to arrest its progress and pre- 

 vent its running higher. It then sets off to cross the wood ; when 

 it does so, at first tiie silver grain bends a little inwards, but be- 

 fore it has proceeded half way the direction is again altered, and 

 it begins to form its scales in the bark : but if by any accident 

 the line which now attaches the bud lo the line of life be broken, 

 it becomes a useless matter or miss-bud, and is pushed about 

 the wood till a number of buds coming out facilitates its en- 

 trance into the bark ; where, after making a lodgement for a 

 short time, it drops out. 



I have now conveyed the bud to the scales, and brought it 

 from the centre of the tree. It is within the scales in the albur- 

 num it is supposed by botanists to form in trees (fig. \,dd); but 

 where it certainly only develops. In about a fortnight after the 

 buds have entered their covering of bark, if the whole is cut with 

 a very sharp knife longitudinally, the most beautiful sight will be 

 discovered within the scales, which is the uncovering the interior 

 flowers, which are all arranged in the most exquisite manner, 

 other buds running up the stalk to bring fresh flowers under the 

 scale, for it is not one bud alone that fills up the contents of the 

 bark- covering. It will often contain large collections of flowers 

 (see fig. 6 and 7) : it would require a whole letter to show the 

 beauty and various peculiarities of the flower-bud. But the 

 flowers are all developed there as early as November in trees; 

 and appear in various ways arranged in bouquets, in species 

 of baskets, in figures resembling c.'o»7mcopf(3?, &:c. ; in short, the 

 flowers are always covered with a sort of transparent matter, 

 which seeuis to be thrown into various accidental folds, but in 

 reality serves only to protect the flowers while moving in or just 

 below the bud, which they do incessantly. 



But before I close the subject of trees, I must observe that if 

 the same sort of tree is cut down in December, all the flower- 

 buds will be passed under the scales, for there will be scarce one 

 left in the wood of the tree, though it was so crowded with them in 

 September. I have been lucky enough to procure many specimens 

 of foreign wood cut down at both seasons; a piece of mahogany 

 quite covered with buds. No carpenter knew the wood in that 

 state. A piece of satin-wood most beautifully spotted, and one 

 quite plain; the Riabuca wood, which, as it is an excrescence, 

 is as usual loaded with buds ; and a fine purple wood from South 

 America, with and without buds ; the buds decaying, and there- 

 fore spotting it with black ; and the Salamanda wood, also in the 

 same situation covered with buds, with a jjiece that has but one 

 bud in the whole specimen. 



I mentioned that the gastric juice \vas always to be seen pass- 

 ing 



