Sex of Plants. 34^ 
fome of the Abbe's own experiments feem 
rather to ftrengthen the opinion he means 
to overthrow. 
Having traced the hiftory of this impor- 
tant procefs in the economy of vegetables, 
to the time of Linn^us, I judge it will 
be unnecelTary, to accompany the reader 
through a particular detail of authors below 
this period. In 1732, Linn^us founded 
his fyftem on this dodlrine ; and the addi- 
tional arguments, and experiments, produced 
by himXelf, his pupils, and followers, have 
eftablifhed the truth of it, to the compleat 
fatisfaftion of impartial enquirers. Thofe, 
however, who wifh to perufe the moft per- 
fed: fummary of all the arguments, and ex- 
periments, in favour of this analogy, are 
referred to the SponfaliaPlantarumy' writ- 
ten in the year 1746, and printed in the 
firft volume of the " Amoenitates Academic 
ca,'' and to the Differtation on the Sexes 
of Plants," written by Linn^us in 
1760, which obtained the premium of the 
Academy of Peterjburghy and has lately 
been tranflated into Englijh by the ingenious 
and learned poflelTor of the Linncean collec- 
Z 4 tign. 
