58 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1 736. 



the plant, looked as well to the eye as any other ; they were of their proper 

 length, the cores of their full size, but to the touch, for want of the grain, 

 they felt light and yielding. On the core, when divested of the leaves that 

 cover it, the beds of seed were in their ranges, with only a dry skin on 

 each. 



In the ears of the other hills, from which he had taken all the silk, and in 

 those that he had covered with muslin, there was not so much as one mature 

 grown grain, nor other than as mentioned in the first : but in all the others, 

 in which he had left part, and taken part of the silk, there was in each the 

 exact proportion of full grains, according to the quantity or number of the 

 filaments left on them. And for the few grains found on one head in the first 

 hill, he immediately accounted thus : that head, or ear, was very large, and 

 stood prominent from the plant, pointing with its silk westward directly to- 

 wards the next hill of Indian corn ; and the farina, he knew, when very ripe, 

 on shaking the stalk, will fly off in the finest dust, somewhat like smoke. He 

 therefore judged that a westerly wind had wafted some few of these particles 

 from the other hill, which had fallen on the styles of this ear, in a situation well 

 fitted to reieive them, which none of the other ears, on the same hill, had. 



Mr. Logan is positive, by his experiment on those heads, that the silk was 

 taken quite away, and of those that were covered with muslin, none of the 

 grains will grow up to their size, when prevented receiving the farina to im- 

 pregnate them ; but appear, when the ears of corn are disclosed, with all the 

 beds of the seeds, or grains, in their ranges, with only a dry skin on each, 

 about the same size as when the little tender ears appear filled with milky juice 

 before it puts out its silk. But the few grains that were grown on the single 

 ear, were as full and as fair as any ever seen ; the places of all the rest had only 

 dry empty pellicles, as described ; and probably the same holds generally in the 

 whole course of vegetation ; though it may not be safe to pronounce absolutely 

 upon it, without a great variety of experiments on different subjects. But there 

 are few plants that will afibrd so fine an opportunity of observing on them, as 

 the maize, or Indian corn ; because its styles may be taken off or left on the 

 ear, in any proportion, and the grains be afterwards numbered in the manner 

 abovementioned. 



^Some Observations of the Eclipses of Jupiter s Satellites, made by Geo. Lynn, 

 Esq. at Southwick, Northamptonshire. N° 440, p. 1Q6. 



The account of these eclipses is of no use now. 



