[ 185 3 
itderable an Animal ; fince all our Knowledge is re» 
latively conduded; and becaufe there is fomething 
extremely perplexed and intricate in our Notions of 
Minutenefs. 
Such Refledions as thefe prompted me to examine 
feveral fmall Seeds 5 efpecially Tome of thofe, which, 
to the naked Eye, fcem’d moil like one another ; 
and, to my great Surprize, I found them as different 
from each other in their Marks and Forms, as dif- 
ferent Genus’s of any other Clafs of the Creation ; 
and, from their curious Charaders and Beauties, 1 
could not but conclude them as well worth obferv- 
ing and defcribing as any other Subjed whatfoever, 
that has already employ'd the Learned. 
But, befides thofe many Beauties in their Forms, 
which, of themfelves, are a fufficient Reafon for their 
Examination, and well worth any Pains that may be 
taken about them, there are yet more engaging In- 
ducements to excite the Curiolity of Mankind to it, 
which arife upon the Diffedion of the Seeds. Of 
this I have fubjoined a few Examples, which I hope 
will be entertaining to this learned Society , as a 
Specimen of many Difcoveries that will follow, in the 
Courfe of my Obfervations on the great Number of 
Seeds, that fhall be the Subjeds of my Study for 
fome time. 
The firft is the Seed of the Musk Scabious y which, 
for its Shape and Structure, is amazing. It refembles 
an octagonal Vafe with a fcalloped Brim : the Whole 
is Bell fhaped, having Ribs or Divifions, which run 
down from the Mouth of the Vafe , and, becoming 
narrower, ‘form the Bottom : Between thefe Ribs, 
down to the Beginning of the narrow Part, it is clear, 
A a 2 tho’ 
