{16 ) 
Concerning the Nature and Situation of this Liquor therefore, 
Tontedera has told us nothing new. 
What he has faid concerning the Origin thereof, or the 
manner in which it is produced, is at beft but a mecr Conjedure, 
and that not near fo probable as what we have feen from Dr. Wood- 
kjvard: For Malpighi , after all the Pains he took, would never 
venture to determine, whither any part of the Sap, by which the 
tender Seed is nourilhed, was prepared before-hand in the ^etala 
and Stamina or not ; fo there are other Authors of no fmall Note, 
who pretend to prove that there can be no fuch thing, but that all 
the Nourilhmcnt both of the Embryo its felf, and all the other Parts 
of Flowers, are carried dircdly to them from the Eedunculus, or if 
they have none, from the common Stalk from whence they arife. 
The Ufe alligned here for this Liquor, while it remains on any 
part of the furface of the Receptaculiim is intirely new, and not 
without probability ? and tho' it does not diredly contradid that 
mentioned by Dr. Blair ^ yet it quite takes off the force of Mr. Fair- 
child’s Experiment to prove it j bccaufe the wiping of it off from 
the Flower, may have another very different effed upon the Fruit, 
than meerly the preventing its being fecundated by the Farina, 'viz. 
the expoling of it too much to the adion of the Sun and external 
Air, as this Author obferves. 
The way which he difpofes of this Liquor when it has done all 
its work upon the furface of the Receptaculum, is, I believe, pretty" 
much without Foundation j for as, without any breach of Charity, 
we may venture to affirm, that this Author never faw any Part of 
it re-enter cither the Receptaculum or Seed VclTel, fo it is much 
more likely to fuppofe that it evaporates into the Air ; Fnce that 
Part of it which he rcftorcs to the Seed, muft be but very unfit 
Nourifhment for it, after remaining fo long expofed ; and lince the 
Receptaculum its (Elf, in my Plants at leaft, began to decay not 
long after the Betala, it feems to have but little occafion for the 
other Part. 
Since Bentcdera, I meet with none but Dr. Chambers who have 
any thing that relates to this Subjed. This Author concludes the 
brief Account he has given us of the Retala of Flowers, by thc^ 
following Obfervation. Sed etiam ConchuU funt,fen Vejicula parva 
'ualvulis donata, ad fundum petalorum, quarum (ingulf guttulam 
mellitre feu faccarin£ Materia continent. Ha "vero in omnibus plantis 
Retalis donatis adfunt, imo ^ in amarijjimd Aloe forente. 
Liquor tarn dulcis ft, quam in gratijfma dulcijfimaque plant a. 
Hunc • 
