158 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1704. 



after, was surprised to see that some of them had assumed a peach colour, and 

 especially such as lay close upon each other. After several observations, by 

 breaking and cutting in pieces the aloes leaves, I not only placed them so nicely 

 before the glasses, that they could be seen lying in those rings or circles, which 

 I imagined to serve for canals, as in fig. 6, iklm, in the middle of five rows 

 between i and k ; but also separated a small piece of leaf in such a manner, that 

 the ends or points of those sharp particles stretched themselves beyond the 

 canals, as is here represented in n and o. These sharp particles lay within a 

 small compass, like little bundles, as is shown in the figure ; but they do not 

 all lie in such order, nor always so close to each other, but at a greater distance 

 in several places, and sometimes indeed closer. It is to be observed, that fig. 6, 

 iklm, as it appears to the naked eye, did not cover more space than a large 

 grain of sand ; from whence we may guess what a vast number of such sharp 

 particles are included in one aloes leaf; in each of these particles in this figure, 

 are a great many parts to be seen which seem to be canals ; and I suppose that 

 each circle, or the membranes in which the sap and other parts are shut up, are 

 also full canals. 



Next proceeding to the vessels or canals, which lie something deeper in the 

 leaf; here, fig. 7, abcdepghi, represents one of these, which is in a manner 

 surrounded and involved in a sort of viscous or slimy matter, and which I 

 endeavoured to separate from it ; from these vessels or canals, in four distinct 

 places, and all in a very little space, there proceeded a kind of branches ; as 

 two between de and fg, and two between h and i, which run across from the 

 leaf. These twigs or branches unite again in one vein or canal that lies just by 

 them, which is not near so large as the first mentioned canal ; and this union 

 or conjunction is represented by klmnofqr, and there are three such small 

 canals to a large one. The said vein or canal that runs across, is not only 

 joined to a second ascending vein, which extends the length of the leaf, but it 

 goes still farther, and falls into a third canal, which also runs the length of the 

 said leaf, as may be seen in the same figure by STVwxYza ; and perhaps this 

 order runs through the whole leaf. 



I fencied that some of these veins or canals were composed of long particles, 

 that extended parallel and very near to each other, but in a winding and serpen- 

 tine manner ; to the end that the said veins should never fall in with each other, 

 but always remain open and distinct ; and agreeably to this opinion, I have 

 sometimes, but very seldom, taken those parts out of the canals. In the said 

 fig. 7, wBCDEFX represent the last mentioned particle, which composes a canal, 

 but of a very small length, and it seems to be of a flattish shape, as between w 

 and B ; but viewing it more narrowly, we found that the seeming flatness was 



