ioo Dr. Lifter to Mr. Ray. 



That the laffc Propofition is ill exprefled s that the 

 Subftance or fibrous Part of many Vegetable Excref- 

 cences not to be the Food of the Worms to be found 

 in them 5 my Meaning is, that the Worms in thofe 

 Vegetable Excrescences which produce Ichneumones^ 

 (to which kind of Infe£fc we would limit this Propo- 

 rtion, and expungall other Xnftances.) Thefe Worms, 

 I fay, do not feem to devour the Subftance or fibrous 

 Part of them, as other Worms devour the Kernels of 

 Nuts, &c. but that (whatever their Manner of feed- 

 ing is, and we doubt not but they are nouridied in 

 and from them) the Vegetable Excrefcences ftill migh- 

 tily increafe in Bulk, and rife as the Worms feed. 



It is obfervable (if we would endeavour a Solution) 

 that fome of the Icbneumones delight to feed upon a 

 liquid Matter, as the Eggs of Spiders, the Juices 

 (if not Eggs) within the Bodies of young Caterpil- 

 lars and Maggots 5 whence we conjecture, that thofe 

 of the fome. Genus , to be found in Vegetable Excref- 

 cences^ may in like manner fuck in the Juices of the 

 equivalent Parts of Vegetables. 



And this the dry and fpongy Texture of fome of 

 thefe kinds of Excrefcences kerns to evince : For if 

 you cut in Pieces a wild Poppy-head for Example (or 

 the great Balls of the Oak) you will find in thofe 

 Partitions, wherein thefe Worms are lodg'd, nothing 

 but a pithy Subftance, like that of young Elder y 

 and if there chance to be any Cells unfei'z'd (which 1 

 have fometimes. obferved) the Seeds therein will be 

 found yet entire and perfe£t. W hence very probably 

 they feed upon, or fuck in by little and little the yet; 

 liquid Pulp of the tender Seeds, and leave the Sub- 

 ftance or fibrous Parts of the Seeds entire 5 which 

 Fibres are, as the intermediate Juice is exhaufted,mon- 

 ftroufly expanded into-an Ex^refcence by the yet vege- 

 tative Power of the^ Plant. 



As for Matter of Fa£t to clear the Truth of that 

 Opinion, that the diverfc Races of Ichneumones are 



generated 



