6o6 
On the Supposed Germinating 
[October, 
Mr. John Macgregor. The lid of the mummy-case seemed 
to have been unopened before, as the clay luting was in the 
joint nearly all round. From the hieroglyphics outside Di. 
Birch pronounced the mummy to be that of a priest sacied 
to Osiris, and about 2600 years old ; and he predicted there 
would be found inside several articles, a blue glass net, 
images, &c., which were found within Among the oose 
debris inside the case were four grains of coin, two of these 
Mr. M. planted a few days afterwards in a small flowei-pot 
filled with sifted mould from the Temple Gardens ; the othei 
two grains were sent to Mr. Sowerby, at the Royal Botanic 
Society, Regent’s Park; the pot from the temple was also 
sent to Mr. Sowerby, in August, with one of the grains grown 
up about eight inches high ; this was returned in December, 
1871 as a stalk four feet long, with twelve grains of oats 
orowing on it; the other two grains grew up into several 
stalks, but without any fruit. In conneftion with tms case 
it will be noticed that Dr. Birch pronounced the mummy to 
be 2600 years old, and that the seeds which vegeta e pio, 
duced oats— a grain unknown to the Egyptians 2600 years ago . 
This is unmistakable testimony that the Arabs are not only 
adepts in lying, but skilful manipulators of ancient sai- 
cophagi, and has an important bearing upon the fiist, and the 
next case of wheat vitality. . . ,, , 
The next, and perhaps most talked of, experiment is that 
of the Count of Sternberg, at Prague * I take the par- 
ticulars from A. de Candolle’s learned work on the Origin 
of Cultivated Plants.” The Count of Sternberg had received 
the grains from a trustworthy traveller, who assured him 
that they were taken from a sarcophagus. 1 wo of the seeds 
terminated, it is said, but M. de Candolle ascertained that 
Tn Germany well-informed persons believe there is some im- 
posture, either on the part of the Arabs, who sometimes slip 
modern wheat into the tombs (even maize, an American 
plant), or on that of the employes of the Count of Sternberg. 
These three cases, and there are several others of less note, 
are cited as being good examples of the various expenments 
with supposed mummy-case seeds. . .. . , 
It is somewhat remarkable that almost all of the published 
accounts of the experiments are qualified by the statement 
that owing to the indifferent character of the Aiabs it is 
not always certain that the seeds which have sprouted were 
really at first enclosed with the mummies. Thus, in “ Vege- 
table Physiology,” the author asseits that theie is nothing 
* Journal Flora, 1835, p.4. 
