t ” ] 
that the male mercury which bears the feed, and that 
the female which is barren. Pliny obfefves that natu- 
ralifts allow the diftinaion of fex, not only In trees but 
in herbs and all plants. C^falpinus reformed the errors 
of former writers, in fuppof.ng the barren plant to be the 
ntale, and that which bears the feed to be the female t 
but hh notion goes no further than to thofe where the 
organs are placed on feparate roots produced from the 
fame feed. Zaluziantki, a native of Poland, firft dif- 
criminated the true fexes of plants, and pointed out the 
effential difference between the male, the female, and 
the hermaphrodite. Dr. Grew, in 1682, fuggefted the 
idea that the anthers were necclfary to the impregnation 
of a plant, and plainly delivers it as his opinion, that 
thefe burft open and (bed the pollen orduft contained in 
them, which falling on the feed-velTel renders them 
prolific. Thefe principles were afterwards adopted by 
Ray, Camerarius who fpeaks of the number of the fta- 
mina in flowers, Malphigi who examined the anthcras 
and pollen by the microfcope, Geoffroy, JufTieu, Vaillant, 
Morland and others. 
Profeffor Rudbeck, then in his feventieth^ year, 
flruck with the novelty of the obfervations contained m 
this fmall effay, not only took him into his houfe, but 
after a Ihort time fuffered him to give ledures for him 
whenever he was prevented by fatigue or other avoca- 
tions. Under patronage fo dignified and with diftinaion 
fo flattering, the mind of the young academician began 
Zz 2 
