£2 STRUCTURE OF THE WATER LILT. 



V. 



Questions respecting a Passage in Mrs. Ibbetson's Account 

 of the Water Lily* In a Letter from a Correspondent* 



To W. NICHOLSON, Esq. 

 SIR, 



M™ b S- m I N the ,4si number of your very excellent publication, 

 ton's account there is a paper of Mrs. Ibbetson's, in continuation of her 

 of the water valuable discoveries in the minute anatomy of plants, in 

 which I would, though with the greatest deference, point 

 out an ambiguity, in my opinion of considerable importance. 

 The passage I allude to is in the description of the structure 

 of the water lily, page 243, where, after referring to M a. a, 

 tof fig. I, PI. VII," for a view of the air vessels, she says, 

 that, lest the pith " should not be sufficient to prevent in» 

 sects from entering into it, and choking up the air vessel, as 

 soon as the plant sinks in the water, a quantity of hairs, 

 which are placed in circles in the interior, rise, and, meet- 

 ing in the centre, not only aid to keep out the water, but run 

 through every insect, that ventures to approach." Mrs. 

 Ibbetson then goes on to add, " I have often caught insects 

 threaded on the hairs, but they are soon washed off. 

 Questions ^ Now a question or two naturally arise on reading this ob* 



f&ervation. — 1st, how do insects get into or even near the air 

 vessels ? or, 2ndly, how can the water come at them, to 

 wash them off, when these vessels are so entirely internal ? . 

 1 doubt not that these questions can be most satisfactorily 

 answered ; bur, certainly, Mrs. Ihbetson did not show her 

 usual perspicuity in this passage. 



Your insertion of this, or an answer to it, if possible in 

 your next, will very much oblige me. — I conclude by sin* 

 cerely thanking the lady, who is the occasion of this letter, 

 for the high gratification, which her frequent comnaunica-? 

 tions have afforded— and with hopes, that she will persevere 

 in her truly wonderful and interesting discoveries. 

 I am, sir, 

 Your much obliged, and very humble servant, 

 Pcojc, April the 4th, 1812. T. B. 



ftspectiug it. 



