[ 298 } 



into his body in water, received from a vefiel made 

 of juniper wood. This Acarus is defcribed in the 

 Syftem^ p. 1024. Our plan will not allow us to 

 follow the author through the whole of his dif- 

 quifition, it muft fuffice to fay, that it is ingenious, 

 and well worthy the attention of all thofe who wifh 

 to be acquainted with the dodrine which it 

 favours. 



83. Transmutatio Frumentorum. B* Hornhorg. ' 



^757' ^ . 



The purport of this diflertation is to combat, 

 and abolifh a long-eftablifhed vulgar error, which 

 neverthelefs prevailed until the time of Harvey^ 

 among fome m.en of confiderable knowledge, and 

 even now ftill fubfifts among the vulgar, in fome 

 parts of Europe ^ namely, that one kind of grain 

 was convertible, by different foils, into an inferior, 

 diilin6l, and more ufelefs fpecies : thus, that 

 Wheats in an impoverifhed foil, would change to 

 Kye: this, to Barley : Barley^ into 'Darnel: this, into 

 Brome-grafs : Brome-grafs^ into Oats» Some of the 

 antients carried their belief farther, fuppofing, on 

 the other hand, that in fertile lands, the reverfe 

 would take place. As thefe ideas were repugnant 

 to truth, fo they were in many cafes unfriendly to 

 improvement. This author, after having ob- 

 ferved, that among the Romans the Res Rujlica was 

 held in fuch eftimation, that even the men of quality 

 themfelves difdained not to cultivate agriculture, 

 laments that in modern times it is too much ne- 

 glcded by the great j he therefore urges gentle-* 



mea 



