VOL. XXI.] i-HILOSOPHlCAL TRANSACTIONS. 385 



as I could judge, alike fresh, sound, and lively; and having taken the weight 

 of each, I placed it in a phial, ordered as above; and as the plant imbibed and 

 drew off the water, I took care to add more of the same from time to time, 

 keeping an account of the weight of all that was added. Each of the glasses, 

 for better distinction, had a different mark or letter, as A, B, C, &c. and all 

 set in a row in the same window, in such maimer that all might partake alike 

 of air, light, and sun. Thus they continued from July 20 to October 5, just 

 77 days. I then took them out, weighed the water in each phial, and the 

 plant likewise, adding to its weight that of all the leaves that had fallen off 

 during the time it stood thus: and lastly, I computed how much each plant 

 had gained, and how much water was spent upon it. The particulars are as 

 follow : 



The common solanum, in the phial d, had several buds on it when first set in 

 the water; these in a few days became fair flowers, which were at length suc- 

 ceeded by berries. Several other plants were tried, that did not thrive in water, 

 or succeed any better than the cataputia. 



Two other phials, f and g, were filled, the one with rain, the other with 

 spring water, at the same time as those above-mentioned were, and stood as 

 long, but neither of them had any plant ; my design in these being only to in- 

 form myself, whether any water exhaled out of the glasses, otherwise than 

 through the bodies of the plants. The orifices of these two glasses were 

 covered with parchment, perforated with a hole of the same size with those of 

 the phials. In this I suspended a bit of stick, about the thickness of the stem 

 of one of the plants, but not reaching down to the surface of the included water. 



VOL. IV. 3 D 



