162 







should Crst shoot in the air, and then turn down to 

 find a place to fix on. This it is, which has kept 

 the world so long in ignorance about the growing of 

 fhisseed. For by inquiring a new smooth part of 

 the ba?k whereon to iix the rooting part, it has frus r 

 t rated ail attempts of sowing it as we do other seeds. 

 In Strawberries and llusberrii'S the hairs which 

 grow on the ripe fruit, are so many tubes leading to 

 the several .seeds. And therefore we may observe that 

 in the first opening of the (io\ver,the whole inward area 

 is like, a litile wood of these hairs, and when they 

 have received and conveyed their globules, the seeds 

 swell and rise in a ileshy pulp. 



The manner wherein Mosses in general seed, is ex- 

 ceeding little understood. But in one species at least, 

 it maybe clearly explained from a number of ob- 

 servations. The head of this moss appears to the 

 naked eye, smooth, and of a pale brov.n colour. The 

 top of this is bounded by an orange- coloured ring, 

 which is a calix, containing sixteen pyramidal sta- 

 mina, loaded with a white farina. These bend towards 

 each other, and when the head is nearly ripe, alur bt 

 meet in a point at their tops. Immed a*i i y und< r 

 the arch formed by tru se stamina, is placed a slender, 

 hollow, pistil, through which the farina mak s its 

 \va) , and is dispersed among the seeds in the head. 

 The external membrane of the head, is a continuation 

 of the outward covering of the stalk. A section of the 

 head shews, that this mrmbruae includes a seed ves- 

 sel so large- as to lili it every way. This is filled 

 with pn feet and beautiful seeds. They are round 

 and tian>j a., ti. when unripe, but afterwards they arc 

 opak- and oi a beautiful green. The number of 

 seeds in one of these heads, is not less than 13 ; 800* 



The seed-vessels of mahogany trees are of a 

 curious lorrn. They consist of a large cone, which 

 splitting into five pans, disclose their winged seeds. 

 IN cue would thinly that so tali and so large trees > 



