C 771 ] 
fays, that he fhewed them to the Botanic Profeffor at 
Leyden Anno 1673. and that he had drawn the 
Figures of them. But I find Dr. William Cole fent 
an Account of the Seeds of divers of the Plants called 
Dorfiferous , to * Dr. Robert Hooky in a Letter dated 
September 30. 1669. and gives a pretty juftDefcription 
of the Seed-veffels, and the manner in which they 
grow, and intended a Delineation of the Figures. 
Swammerdamms great Piety, which fhines confpi- 
cuoufly throughout his Work, teaches me in Charity 
to conclude, he fpake what he thought to be true ; 
and, poffibly, he might have made the Difcovery 
many Years before the time when he fhewed the 
Seeds to the Profeffor. However, I am humbly 
confident of this, (after numberiefs Trials made with 
all kinds of Microfcopes, and in all Portions, and 
with different Lights) that Swammerdamms Account 
is juft and accurate, in every Point. 1 have viewed 
the feveral kinds of Ferny Englijh Maidenhair , other 
forts of Maidenhair, Wall-rue , Harts-tonguey and 
find the Seed-veffels of the fame Form in all, fome 
little Difference being between fome of them in the 
Size only , and in the manner of their being inferted 
on the Back of the Leaf, with the Numbers in various 
Plants, there is a more confiderable Difference. I 
obferve, where you have fewer Seeds, you have more 
of a fort of Fungus, orTubercule, very like what is 
called Jews-earsy which feems to me defigned to 
fhelter the Seed, which grow, as under Covert, round 
about them. In the Female Fern, and Fnglifl) 
* Who was the firft Englijlman that difcovered the Seed of the 
Tern by the Help of a Microlcope. 
$ H Maid - - 
