c m ) 
and, by his judicious and candid correction of 
the few errours in the works of Linneus, has 
rendered effential fervice to the botanical 
world. 
But to return to the equifetum. Early in 
the fpring this plant pufhes out of the earth 
a little club-lhaped head ; round this head are 
placed, in circles, target-form fubftances, each 
fupported on a pedicle, and compreffed into 
angles, in confequence of their refting againft 
each other before the fpike expands. Beneath 
each of thefe targets are from four to fever* 
conical fubftances, with their points leaning 
a little inwards towards the pedicle. They 
open on the inner fide, and on fhaking them 
over a piece of paper, a greenifh powdery 
mafs falls out, which at fir ft is full of mo- 
tion, but foon after looks like cotton or tow. 
All this may be feen without a microfcope ; 
but by the affiftance of glafles green oval 
bodies have been difcovered, and attached to 
them (generally) four pellucid and very flen- 
der threads, fpoon-form, at their ends, as 
may be feen in Plate the Third. Thefe fmall 
woolley fubftances have, to the naked eye, 
no appearance of diftincT: formation ; but we 
may always be fure, that a nice and regular 
M 3 organ- 
