246 CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 



at the same time, yom' argumentation must needs be 

 good ; and Mr. Smith, who was upon the spot, and on 

 purpose to inquire and observe, acknowledges no such 

 thing, but insists upon an under current ; and as for the 

 Thracian Bospliorus, he confidently affirms that the cur- 

 rent constantly sets outward — I mean from the Euxine 

 Sea. I am not concerned that the current (at the 

 Straits, I mean) should constantly and only set inward, 

 and it woidd suit my hypothesis better that it should be 

 indifferent. 



I have read over your Peyer's ' Merycologia,' and do 

 own him to be an ingenious and careful writer ; but yet 

 in some few things I must needs difier from him, they 

 being contrary to my opinions and observations, for I 

 have, many years ago, with as much diligence as I could, 

 examined the stomachs of kine. 



I doubt whether Mr. Lewenhoeck's observations be 

 exact ; for in those of the seeds of plants I find him mis- 

 taken in some, v. g. radish, turnips, and others of that 

 kind, which I have forty times dissected and opened with 

 my hands, and seen clearly with my naked eyes. He 

 saith they have four leaves, and figures them accoidingly ; 

 whereas they have but two only, with a notch or crena at 

 the top, but that not very deep, so as to make any show 

 or appearance of two leaves. And it is clear, by their 

 coming up, that they have but two leaves, for they bring 

 up the very same that were inclosed in the seed. And 

 Signer Malpighi agrees exactly with me, both in the 

 number of leaves and the manner of their complication, 

 both in his figures and descriptions. 



B. N., March 3, —91. 



