VOL. XLI.J PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 507 



falling on the objects. I throw a quantity of seed-vessels on a circular plate of 

 ivory; and, if the plant be newly gathered, the proper time being about the 

 beginning of September, I often have the pleasure of seeing the seed-vessels 

 burst; the motion of which at that time may be seen by a good eye unassisted. 

 But, when I happened to light of a pod not thoroughly crisp, I have had the 

 satisfaction of seeing the gradual procedure of the bursting of the vessel, in order 

 to the scattering the seed, in the following manner: first, the chord breaks, 

 and by expanding rends the folliculum or pod in two parts; by going on to ex- 

 pand itself, as it departs from a curve, and approaches to a right line, it gra- 

 dually rends itself away from the globular pod, till it be wholly discharged from 

 it; when, as there can be no further resistance made to the chord in expanding 

 itself, it naturally gives a sudden jerk, which in this case is very gentle; and 

 thus the seeds are shed on the surface of the plate, in the same maimer as if 

 you were to cast some grains of corn out of a bowl on the plane of a table- 

 board: this I have several times seen with unspeakable pleasure; but where the 

 vessel is more crisp, its motion in bursting wholly escapes the sight, flying away 

 with great violence beyond the field which the lens takes in. Sometimes I have 

 observed the pod to be 10, sometimes 20 minutes in bursting; in which time 

 you may have a distinct view of the procedure. I have more than once seen 

 the pod broke in the side by some accident, as at 1 ; and the seed lodged within, 

 while the chord has been whole, and still embraced it. 



We might have the opportunity of seeing this curious piece of divine mecha- 

 nism to greater advantage, if we could find a way to get the seed-vessels from 



the leaves in a less rude manner than by rubbing them ; for they will not easily \ 



be discharged from the leaves, for I believe they continue a month after the 

 seeds are dispersed, so as to collect any number of them together, and this me- 

 thod bursts them. When I have been attempting this, they fly about like ex- 

 ceedingly fine vapour or smoke, and are very troublesome to the hands, &c. by 

 getting into the pores like cowidge. , ^ 



In fig. 10 is a representation of a small piece of the leaf of harts-tongue 

 magnified, taken from Dr. Grew's Anatomy, or History of Plants, pi. 72, re- 

 ferred to book 4, p. 200. I was surprised to see that cut so little resembling 

 the true figure; indeed the Doctor says it was a cloudy day when he viewed the 

 object; and I am sure he had no just notion at all of the spring which em- 

 braces the pod, as to its texture: for it is by no means spiral, or like a screw, 

 nor do the seeds grow in that regular manner, as represented in the figure. 



Whatever use may otherwise be made of this discovery, a moral one naturally 

 presents itself to us; viz. to admire the infinite wisdom and skill of the won- 

 derful Creator; for what thinking mind can help being struck with astonish- 



3t2 ^ 



