fhaped, about a foot long, and an inch broad, end- 
ing in points ; the two fides have (harp edges, but 
the middle is thicker, and has a prominent midrib; 
they are of a dark green colour, and rife immediately 
from the root. The (talk comes out from the root 
between the leaves, and riles a foot and a half high 
toward the upper part. The flowers are produced 
from the fide, (landing alternately at about an inch 
and a half didance from each other ; they have each 
a fpatha or (heath, compofed of two leaves which are 
joined at their bafe, where they are broad, but gra- 
dually lefien to their points. Before the flowers ap- 
pear, they are of the fame green colour with the 
(balk, and are divided but a fmall part of their length, 
inclofing the flower, but afterward they are fplit al- 
moft to the bottom, and wither before the flowers 
decay, becoming dry, and wrap round the feed-veftel. 
The tube of the flower is an inch and a half long, 
narrow at the bafe, and a little curved, fwelling much 
larger the upper half. The rim is divided into fix 
obtufe Segments. which fpread open, and are nearly 
equal ; the flower is of a copper red colour on the 
outfide, but of a deeper red within ; it has three (la- 
mina a little longer than the petal, which are incurv- 
ed, and are terminated by oblong fummits of a dark 
brown colour, which are fattened in the middle to 
the apex of the (lamina, lying prottrate. At the bot- 
tom of the tube of the petal is fituated an oval three- 
cornered germen, Supporting a (lender ftyie a little 
longer than the (lamina, crowned by three bifid reflex- 
ed (tigmas. The flowers generally appear in April or 
May, and the feeds ripen in July. 
The feeds of this, and alio fome of the forts of Ixia, 
were fent me by my friend Dr. Job Batter, F. R. S. 
of Zirkzee, which fucceeded in the Chelfea Garden, 
where many of them have flnce produced their beau- 
tiful flowers. 
The fecond fort is of a humbler growth than the firft •, 
the leaves of this are rarely more than (ix inches 
long, but are full as broad as thofe of the other fort, 
and of a lighter green colour ; the flower-ftalk rifes 
between the leaves, about nine inches high, fupport- 
ing four or five flowers fitting clofe thereto. The 
flowers are larger, but of the fame colour with thofe 
of the other fort, and is later in flowering. 
Thefe plants are propagated by offsets from the root, 
in the fame manner as the Crocus or Gladiolus, which 
are produced in pretty great plenty ; the time for 
tran(planting of the roots is in Auguft, foon after the 
ftalks decay, the larger roots mutt be each put into 
a feparate pot filled with light frefli earth, and may 
be placed in the open air till toward the end of Sep- 
tember, when the leaves will begin to appear above 
ground, at which time it will be proper to remove 
them into (helter ; for as this plant is a native of a 
warm country, it will require fome (belter from the 
froft, at lead hitherto it has been fo managed ; for 
until the roots are become more common, it would 
be imprudent to venture them abroad in winter ; tho’ 
they may probably be hardy enough to refill the cold 
of our ordinary winters, when planted in a warm 
border and a dry foil, at lead with a little (helter in 
hard frofts ; for thofe plants which have been placed 
in an open airy glafs-cafe, have fucceeded better than 
thofe which have been in the (love ; and the flowers 
have been much Stronger, and of longer duration, 
though thofe in the (love have flowered a month ear- 
lier ; but thefe have been fo much drawn, as not to 
produce feeds ; whereas thofe which have been treat- 
ed pretty hardily, and had plenty of air, have feldom 
failed. 
The beft way of treating thefe roots, is to plunge the 
pots into an old bed of tanners bark, which has loft 
its heat fome time in QCtober ; this bed fhould be 
covered with a frame, the glafies of which fhould be 
drawn off every day in mild weather, that they may 
enjoy as much free air as poflible, to prevent their 
drawing up weak ; but they mutt be covered in bad 
weather; and fcreened from froft. The latter end of 
March, when they begin to put out their flower- 
ftalks, the pots fhould be removed to an airy glafs- 
cafe, where they may (land to flower, and when the. 
flowers are decayed, they fhould be placed in the 
open air to perfeCt their feeds. 
The offsets and fmall roots may be planted three or 
four in a pot, according to their fize, and fhould have 
the fame treatment as the larger roots the firft year s 
and by that time twelvemonth they will be ftrong 
enough to flower, fo fhould have feparate pots. 
WEATHER is the ftate or difpofition of the at- 
mofphere, with regard to moifture or drought, heat 
or cold, wind or calm, tain, hail, froft, fnow, fog, 
&c. 
As it is in the atmofphere that all plants and animals 
live and breathe ; and as that appears to be the great 
principle of mod animal and vegetable productions, 
alterations, &c. there does not feem any thing in all 
philofophy of more immediate concernment to us, 
than the ftate of the Weather. 
In effeCt, all living things are only affemblages or 
bundles of veffels, whole juices are kept in motion by 
the preffure of the atmofphere, and which, by that 
motion, maintain life ; fo that any alterations in the 
ftate of the rarity or denfity, the heat, purity, &c. of 
the atmofphere, muft neceffarily be attended with 
proportional ones with thefe. Almoft every body 
knows what vaft, yet regular alterations, afiittle change 
of Weather makes in a tube filled with mercury, or 
fpiritof wine, by barometers, thermometers, hygro- 
icopes, &c. and we (hould not fail to feel as great and 
as regular alterations in the tubes, chords, and fibres 
of our own bodies, were it not partly for our inatten- 
tion, and partly for our unequal and intermediate 
courfe of living. 
The knowledge of the Weather is of gfeat fervice in 
gardening and agriculture; but the imaginary prog-‘ 
noftications of almanack writers have been found to 
be a mere delufive cant or jargon. There is nothing 
more wanting than a' juft theory of the Weather on 
mechanical principles. 
Were regifters carefully kept in divers parts of the, 
globe for a good feries of years, we might by them 
be enabled to determine the directions, breadth, and 
bounds of the winds, and of the Weather they bring 
with them ; the correspondence between the Weather 
in divers places, and dependence between one fort and 
another at the fame place, and thence we might in 
time learn to foretel divers great emergencies ; as ex- 
traordinary heats, rains, frofts, droughts, dearths, &c. 
But in order to this, a complete hiftory of the Weather 
will be required. 
Indeed there have been fome effays made this way by 
the members of our Royal Society, the French Aca- 
demy of Sciences, and divers other perfons of note ; 
but the drynefs of the fubjeCl has put a flop to their 
progrefs in that matter. 
As for inftance : Eraf. Bartholinus has observations 
of the Weather every day throughout the year 167 r ; 
and Mr. Werle made the like at Oxford for feven 
years, from the year 1337, to 1343. Dr. Plot did 
the fame at the fame place for the year 1684. Mr. 
Hiller at Cape Corfe, for the years 1686, and 1687* 
and Mr. Hunt, &c. at Grefliam College, for the years 
1695, 1696. Dr. Derham at Upminfter in Effex, 
fortheyears 1691, 1692, 1697, 1698, 1699, 1 7 ° 3 t 
1704, 1705. Mr. Townly in Lancashire, for the 
years 1697, 1698. Mr. Cunningham at Emen in 
China, for the years 1698, 1699, 1700, 1701. Mr. 
Locke at Oats in Effex, 1692. Dr. Scheuchzer 
at Zurich, 1708; and Mr. Tilly at Pifa, the fame 
year. 
The mod certain figns and prognoftics of good and 
bad Weather may be collected from thofe things that 
are nearer to us than the orbs of the planets ; nor need 
we go any farther than this our Sublunary world, for 
the mod probable conjectures in relation to the Wea- 
ther ; and may deduce our prognostications in relation 
thereto, from animals and vegetables, &c. 
It is certain, that a great part of the brute creation 
have a fenfibility and Sagacity this way beyond man- 
14 R . kind i 
