APPENDIX. 13 



Venetians now refufe to mew it more. 1 have {qqxx two 

 detached leaves of papyrus, but do not believe there is an- 

 other book exifting at the prefent time but that in my pof- 

 feffion, which is very perfect. I gave Dr Woide leave to 

 tranflate it at Lord North's defire ; it is a gnoftic book, full of 

 their dreams. 



The general figure of this plant Pliny has rightly faid to 

 refemble a Thyrfus ; the head is compofed of a number of 

 fmall graffy filaments, each about a foot long. About 

 the middle, each of thefe filaments parts into four, and in 

 the point, or partition, are four branches of flowers; the head 

 of this is not unlike an ear of wheat in form, but which in 

 fact is but a chaffy, filky, foft hufk. Thefe heads, or flowers* 

 grow upon the ftalk alternately, and are not oppofitc to, or 

 on the fame line with each other at the bottom. 



Pliny* fays it has no feed ; but this we may be allured is 

 an abfurdity. The form of the flower fufficiently indicates 

 that it was made to refolve itfelf into the covering of one, 

 which is certainly very fmall, and by its exalted fituation^ 

 and thicknefs of the head of the flower, feems to have need- 

 ed the extraordinary covering it has had to protect it from 

 the violent hold the wind mufl have had upon it. For the 

 fame reafon, the bottom of the filaments compofmg the 

 head are fheathed in four concave leaves, which keep them 

 clofe together, and prevent injury from the wind getting 

 in between them. 



D 2 The 



* Plin. lib. 13. ut. fup. 



