( *? ) 
nion. The different appearance of the iup- 
pofed feeds, with their ftamens, before the 
burfting of the anthers and afterwards, feems 
to be ftrongly in it's favour. The fcales, or 
ftipules, which furround the flowering-ftalk 
at certain diftances after it's protrufion, ferved, 
whilft it was young, as a general fence to the 
fpikes. From the inveftigation of the equife- 
tum a clear idea muft be gained of the form 
in which it's fructification appears, and 
thence of that which may be found in the 
reft of the ge'nera, which are arranged in the 
fpiked divifion of ferns. We now come to 
that which contains the leafy fructifications, 
the elegant conftruction of which cannot fail 
to attract attention. The maiden-hair, a na- 
tive of England, with it's purple ftalks and 
fcolloped green leaves, dotted underneath 
with innumerable fmall brown fpots, affords 
a beautiful fpecimen of this curious mode of 
inflorefcence. The lyrup of capillaire derives 
it's name from the botanical appellation of 
this little plant, capillus veneris, and is fup- 
pofed to be, in part, compofed of it ; the mi- 
nutenefs of it's parts renders them lefs proper 
for examination than thofe of the larger fpe~ 
cies of fern. The hart's-tongue (afplenium 
M 4 fcolo- 
