H E R 
of hermaphrodites, may be illustrated in 
the instance of earth-worms. These little 
creatures creep, two by two, out of holes 
proper to receive them, where they dispose 
their bodies in such a manner, as that the 
head of the one is turned to the tail of the 
other. Being thus stretched lengthwise, 
a little conical button, or papilla, is thrust 
forth by each, and received into an aper- 
ture of the other, these animals being male 
in one part of the body and female in an- 
other. 
Among the insects of the soft or boneless 
kind, there are great numbers indeed which 
are so far from being hermaphrodites, that 
they are of no sex at all. Of this kind are 
all the caterpillars, maggots, and worms, 
produced of the eggs of flies of all kinds. 
But the reason of this is plain : these are 
not animals in a perfect state, but disguises 
under which animals lurk. They have no 
business with the propagating of their spe- 
cies, but are to be transformed into animals 
of another kind, by the putting off their se- 
veral coverings ; and then only they are in 
their perfect state, and, therefore, then only 
show the differences of sex, which are al- 
ways in tire distinct animals, each being 
only male or female. These copulate, and 
their eggs produce those creatures which 
show no sex till they arrive at that perfect 
state again. 
Hermaphrodite flowers, in botany, 
are so called on account of their containing 
both tile anthene and stigma, the supposed 
organs of generation within the same ca- 
lyx and petals. Of this kind are the flow- 
ers of all the classes in Linnaeus’s method, 
except the classes Monoecia and Dioecia; 
in the former of which, male and female 
flowers are produced on the same root ; in 
the latter, in distinct plants from the same 
seed. In the class Polygamia, there are 
always hermaphrodite flowers mixed with 
male or female, or both, either on the same 
or distinct roots. In the plaintain-tree the 
flowers are all hermaphrodite ; in some, 
however, the antherae or male organ, in 
others the stigma, or female organ, proves 
abortive. The flowers in the former class 
are styled female hermaphrodites; in the 
latter, male hermaphrodites. Hermaphro- 
dites are thus as frequent in the vegetable 
kingdom as they are rare and scarce in the 
animal one. 
HERMAS, in botany, a genus of the 
Polygamia Monoecia class and order. Na- 
tural order of Umbellatae or Umbellifer®. 
Essential character : hermaphrodite, umbel 
H ES 
terminating; involucre universal and partial , 
umbellets with truncate rays, the central 
one floriferous; petals five; stamina five, 
barren ; seeds in pairs, suborbiculate : 
male, umbels lateral, with universal and 
partial involucres; umbellets many-flow- 
ered; petals five; stamina five, fertile. 
There are five species. 
HERMETICAL seal, among chemists, 
a method of stopping glass vessels, used in 
chemical operations, so closely, that the 
most subtle spirit cannot escape through 
them, It is commonly done by heating the 
neck of the vessel in a flame, till ready to 
melt, and then twisting it closely together 
with a pair of pincers. Or vessels may be 
heimetically sealed by stopping them with 
a glass plug, well luted. 
HERNANDIA, in botany, from Francis 
Hernandez, a genus of the Monoecia Trian- 
dria class and order. Natural order of 
Tricoccae. Lauri, Jussieu. Essential cha- 
racter : male, calyx three-parted ; corolla 
three-petalled : female, calyx truncate, quite 
entire ; corolla six-petalled ; drupe hollow, 
with an open mouth, and a moveable nu- 
cleus. There are two species, viz. H. so- 
nora, whistling hemandia ; and H. ovigera, 
egg-fruited hernandia. The first mentioned 
is an upright lofty tree, with a beautiful 
head ; the flowers are of a pale yellow co- 
lour, in panicled racemes ; the calyxes of 
the fruit are also yellow. It is very com- 
mon in the West Indies, in gullies, near 
rills of water ; the English there call it jack 
in a box. Dr. Patrick Browne attributes 
the whistling noise to the cups that sustain 
and partly envelope the nuts ; these he adds 
are very large, and as they move in the 
wind, produce sound enough to alarm un- 
wary travellers. The seeds are very oily. 
HERNIARIA, in botany, English rup- 
ture-wort, a genus of the Pentandria Digy- 
nia class and order. Natural order of Ho- 
loraceEe. Amaranthi, Jussieu. Essential 
character : calyx five-parted ; corolla none ; 
stamina five, barrel?, besides the fertile 
ones ; capsule one-seec(ed. There are four 
species ; as none of these plants > possess 
any beauty, they are rarely cultivated in 
gardens. 
HERON, in ornithology, a bird of the 
ardea kind, with a hanging crest. See 
Ardea. 
HERRING. See Clupea. 
HESPERIDiE, the name of the nine- 
teenth order in Linnaaus’s fragments of a 
natural method, consisting of five genera, 
among which are the caryophyllus or clove- 
