Dr. Lifter to Mr. Ray. 101 



generated by their refpective animal Parents ; and par- 

 ticularly that thofe which the various Excrefcences 

 of Vegetables produce are not plantigenous : I am in 

 great Hopes the Inftance of Poppy-heads fwollen into 

 Excrefcences, will favour lis the next Seafon. My 

 Expe&ation is chiefly grounded upon the Condition 

 and Nature of that Plant, which is fuch, that no- 

 thing can pierce the Skin of it, and wound it, but it 

 muft neceflarily leave a Mark of its Entry, the milky 

 Juice fpringing upon the lighteft Touch, and drying 

 or concreting fuddenly into a red Scarr. And this I 

 think I may affirm, that of the many Heads grown 

 into Excrefcences which I gathered thisSummer,all had 

 thefe Marks upon them : But our Aim is here only to 

 make way for the Obfervation againft the next Sea- 

 fon. To which Purpofe alfo we propofe the follow- 

 ing Queries. 



i . Whether the ihagged Balls of the wild Rofe are 

 not Excrefcences from the Bud and very Fruit of the 

 Plant, like as the wild Poppy-heads are apparently not 

 defign'd for Worms, but Seed ? 



Xi Whether the large foft Balls of the Oak are not 

 in like Manner, the Buds of the Oak leiz'd about the 

 latter End of April, or the very Beginning of May - 9 

 that is, whether they be not the future Acorn, $r 

 Acorns, with all the Parts, of a fprouting Branch thus 

 ^ionftroufly perverted from the firft Intent and De- 

 fig n of Nature. 



3. Upon what Parts or Juices the Ichneumones 

 Worms thru ft into Caterpillars, or Maggots, can be 

 thought to feed, and whether there be adually Eggs 

 in Caterpillars fufficient to ferve them for Food. 



Sir 



