198 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [anNO 1705. 



expressed by ab, 13 of those little particles, which to the naked eye appear 

 like roses; and consequently in the whole branch abg, 0.6 of the same in two 

 rows, which I shall call seed vessels ; and when I separated one of these seed 

 vessels from the rest, I observed that all of them had very short kind of stalks, 

 by which they were fastened to the leaf, and by which they received their 

 increase, but to the eye appeared no larger than a point, and the leaf seemed 

 clearer or more transparent there, in which place I judge there was a canal or 

 vein of the leaf. 



ej Having separated one of these rose-like parts from the leaf, and the seed 

 Vessels of which it was composed, from one another, I found that the number 

 of those seed vessels amounted to 149. Some have fewer. Almost all the 

 seed vessels were open, and in some of them not the least appearance of any 

 seed; being shed after it was ripe, and the vessel opened. 



Fig. 28 represents one of those seed vessels, that was opened more than the 

 rest, and by which the seeds, as I imagine, were thrown out, as it always hap- 

 pens in those seed vessels that open of themselves; for I could not perceive at 

 the orifice the least rent or breach : the orifice is represented by lm. Between 

 H and o, may be observed 8 screw-like parts ; and of this configuration are all 

 the seed vessels.* 



"»» I have met with some of the said fern leaves, in which the seed vessels had 

 not been yet opened, and consequently had not shed their seeds. I have opened 

 several of these seed vessels, and viewed the seeds with the microscope, it being 

 impossible to see them with the naked eye, or even with common spectacles : 

 I have counted above 50 seeds in one of those seed vessels, which seeds ap- 

 peared through the microscope like those 3, pqr, in fig. 29. 



Fig. 30 and 31, are the said seeds more magnified. In all of them one 

 might perceive the spotted particles with which the seeds were adorned. 



Fig. 32 represents another seed vessel, which was not open as the former: 

 and whereas in fig. 28 the screw-like parts of the seed vessel are placed opposite 

 to the sight, in tliis last the same parts appear sidewise. abg represent th^ 

 stalk; BCDEFG the seed vessel itself; and ep the opening of the vessel, by 

 which it discharges its seed. 



Fig. 33 is another seed vessel, that had not yet opened itself, and conse- 

 iquently in which the seeds are still shut up. him show the stalk, and iklm 

 the seed vessel, in which the screw-like parts are intercepted from the sight ; 

 artd it is so placed that it cannot be perceived whereabouts the opening shall 

 happen. 



* The capsules or seed vessels of the fern-plants are provided with an elastic ring, produced from 

 ,the pedicle on vrhich they are supported. When ripe they open with a sudden jerk and scatter their 

 ■eeds. — Withering from Hedwig. 



