OF NATURAL HISTORY. 47 



every feed there is alfo a fmall cicatrice, or aperture, through 

 which the young plant ilTues. Immediately under this ci- 

 catrice, the plume, or future plant, is difcernible, refembling 

 the puncltims fallens of the Q%^^, The branches of the radicle 

 proceed from this piume, and are difperfed through the iub- 

 ftance of the lobes, in the fame manner as the blood-veflels 

 iiTue from the punclum /aliens of the e^g^ and are diflributed 

 over the yoke. It is by the pulp of the lobes that the radicle 

 and plum.e are nouri£hed,tiU the one flioots down into the foil, 

 and the other mounts above the furface. In feeds, there is 

 nothing analogous to the white of an e^g. Such a provifion 

 would have been fuperfluous ; for the earth, in which the 

 feeds are to germinate, mufl always be moift, otherwife the 

 young plant could not receive nourifhment, after iiTuing 

 from the feed. Belides, the eggs of fifties have no white, 

 becaufe they are perpetually moiftened with water. 



The analogies ariling from the multiplication of animals 

 and plants, by means of eggs and feeds, are the raofl com- 

 mon, and the m.oft obvious. Eggs and feeds are evidently 

 organs formed on the fame plan, and deftined by Nature to 

 anfwer the fame general intention : But the multiplication 

 of plants, as well as that of animals, is not confined folely to 

 one mode. 



The young of viviparous animals, though they probably 

 originate from fmall eggs, are not brought forth till they 

 have acquired a certain age and firmnefs of texture. It may 

 be thought, that there is no multiplication of plants which 

 has any refemblance to that of viviparous animals. We 

 fliould reflect, however, that plants can multiply by buds. 

 Now, a bud has no analogy, either in texture or appearance, 

 to a feed. Buds arife from the ftems or branches of vege- 

 tables. One objedl in their formation is to produce leaves 

 and branches, as well as to extend the length of the trunk 

 or fi:em. But they are hkewife endowed with the faculty of 



