The Edges are fmooth from their beginning to the place where 
the Patala turn down, and from thence to their Extremity, they 
appear as if they were curled or pinched. This alteration in the 
Edge is not cafily difeerned while the Flower Leaves lie ftreight in 
the ‘Perianthiumy but as foon as they are full blown the Pinch is 
very plain. 
I am at laH come to the moft beautiful and charming part of this 
Flower, which is its Colour. This, 1 confefr, I am not able to 
deferibe with that Accuracy and Livelinefs which it deferves j how- 
ever in the main, I may venture to fay, that each Flower, while in 
its prime, looks like a fine gold TifTue, wrought on a rofe-colour'd 
Ground; but when it begins to fade and decay, it looks more like 
a Fiver Tifliie, on what they call a Pink Colour. 
When we look upon the Flower in full Sun-fhine, each Leaf ap- 
pears to be ftudded with thoufands of little Diamonds, fparkling 
and glittering with a moft furprizing and agreable Luftre ; but if 
we view the fame by Candle-light, thefe numerous Specks or Span- 
gles look more like fine gold Duft. 
What that uncommon Appearance proceeds from, or how to ac- 
count for it, I own 1 cannot tell, but muft leave it to others of 
better Judgment ; however fince it is very certain that there is no- 
thing to be fecn without the help of the glorious Rays of the Sun, 
or the adventitious Light of a Candle, on either furface of the Leaf, 
it would feem as if it were owing to fomething contained between 
• thefe : And why not to fome Globules in their circulating Juice, 
through the minute Vcflels which the late Improvements in Bota- 
nical Anatomy have difeovered to us? And what feems to confirm 
this Conjedlure, is an Obfervation which I have made, that when 
the Flower Leaf is fading, thefe iV//V^ or Sparkles do notfhine with 
half the Vivacity and Brightnefs, as when it is in its prime and ftate 
of Perfedion : The juices then being quite altered, or almoft fpent 
and exhaufted, fo that the Spangles become Icfs lively. 
But to be more particular, the narrow neck of each Peralum, is 
of a whitifh Colour, and from thence upwards, about the middle 
, of the Leaf, on the Infidc, there runs a Streak of a deep Scarier, 
which being about one Inch in length, before it is infcnlibly loft j 
all the reft of the Leaf is mnch of the fame Colour as I have de- 
feribed it above. 
The backfidc of thefe Petala, is chiefly of a paler fort of red or 
Pink Colour, but the Cofia or Rib is much whiter. 
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A Friend 
