296 
. Furze, Genista, Digitalis, Groundsel, 
Heath, and Whortleberry, the germinative 
property is naturally preserved under- 
ground (and even beneath great heaps of 
17) for a century at least, and that 
under water, where the exclusion of air 
cannot be so perfect as under a thick bed 
of earth, the Birch and Mustard-seed re- 
tain this faculty for twenty or thirty 
years. 
We know, too, that the seeds of plants 
of certain families, which were taken a few 
years ago out of the Tournefortian Herba- 
rium, have sprouted ; and in fact, when it 
is once established that the vital action 
may be suspended during so long a period, 
and yet not have its principle destroyed, 
we cannot refuse our belief to the possibi- 
lity of this phenomenon being prolonged 
for a period equal to that during which the 
circumstances that delayed the usual time 
of germination may have lasted. 
Here it must be well observed, that it is 
notan utter absence of air, such as would be 
effected by the air-pump, which is requi- 
site for the preservation of seeds, for such 
a condition could only exist in the stony 
strata or the deepest layers of our earth. 
Without requiring to enter into calcula- 
tion, we may safely affirm that warmth ex- 
isted to a sufficient degree, in the tombs of 
La Mouzie, as well as in the situations 
described by M. De la 'Malle: and as to 
humidity, the experiments of M. T. de la 
Saussace on the Desiccation of Seeds ( Ann. 
des Sc. Nat. 1827. 1st. Ser. vol. 10. p. 68, 
&c.) decidedly prove that in these graves, 
the dryness must have been far short of 
what would be needful to destroy the ger- 
minating property, at least as respects Le- 
guminose and Composite, M. de la Saus- 
sace not having operated on any individual 
of the Boraginee. 
once more, it is only in particular 
families that this suspension of the vital 
action may take place without its destruc- 
tion ensuing in a determined time, because 
seeds, independently of external agents. 
It were needful, then, that these chemical 
INFORMATION RESPECTING SEEDS FOUND IN ROMAN TOMBS. 
influences should be suspended, in order. - 
that the lethargy, so to speak, of the seeds, 
should be complete. Thus, oily seeds . 
which are liable to become rancid, can s 
only keep for a limited period. - ES 
However this may be, whether the limit _ 
assigned for the preservation of the ger- — 
minating property in seeds be fixed at one - 
century or two centuries; whether we 
ant or dispute the degree of antiquity - 
which M. Andierne attributes to the tombs — 
at Mouzie, it is still undeniable that the — 
details above given establish the most re- — 
markable instance known of this kind of — 
longevity. I think, too, that the result of 
my reflections proves that it contains no- : 
thing that is incredible. It would appear — 
easy, à priori, to establish the possibility | 
of the fact, and I am happy in having had — 
an opportunity of proving its reality. — 
n expectation was once entertained, * 
though for a most brief period, of seemg — 
the vegetating power exhibit itself in seeds — 
of a much higher antiquity than those m- 
the tombs of Mouzie. M. Kunth, in his : 
inquiries respecting the plants foundinthe — 
Egyptian tombs by M. Passalacqua (see 
Annales des Sciences Naturelles for 1826, — 
Ist Series, vol. 8. p. 418, &c.) mentions — 
some seeds of the Palma Christi or Cult ; 
Oil Plant (Ricinus communis) received — 
from M. Joumard, which were in such à : 
perfect state of preservation that he thought 
he could have brought them to germinate — 
by means of chloride, but the attempt was 
unsuccessful. The seed of this Euphor | 
biaceous plant is, however, highly oleag- — 
ous. Among the twenty ancient plants 
which M. Kunth ascertained, there S 
not one belonging to the Boragine@: X» 
only Leguminose one was in flower c d 
mosa Farnesiana, Linn.) Nine OU ; 
the twenty presented distinct seeds, We 
seven were in such perfect pere mg 
(among them the Ricinus) that M. : ; 
could distinguish their organization, e : 
even the embryo. I am ignorant bs; t. 
situation of these seeds within the e ^ 
but if they were enclosed within the dl 
ies, is it not pre 
pers of the mummies, 15 i 
that the emanations of the bitt 
