39 8 Seed of Afparagus . 
Altho 5 I fhall endeavour to follow thi 
learned Mr. Hooke’s Advice to thofe who 
fhquld correfpond with the Royal Society i 
<e to fend the Kernel of Fa<ff ftript from the 
<e Shell of 1 m pertinencies, 55 yet you will 
give me leave to ohferve two Singularities in 
this young Plant of th & Afparagus. Pirf 9 
that its Pofition in the Seed is very different 
from mod: others : this lies horizontally, and 
not perpendicular to the Jundhire of the 
Stalk, as others generally do 5 and indeed 
though I have feen many Seedling or Nym¬ 
ph a Plants, I never met with one polited as 
the Afparagus is. Secondly , it has no Fibres 
■or Ligaments communicating with the Seed 
in which it is inclofed, but lies in it as a Ni¬ 
dus, adhering only by filling the hollow Bed 
exadtly. 
I have now given you an Account, and 
I fear a tedious one, of fonie Things unob- 
ferved before, I believe, which have occurred 
to me: from your Fr lend fbip I am perfuaa- 
ed I need make no Excufe for it 5 if I was 
to make one, Pliny the eider (et ilk etiani 
Caufas aBfiavit) fhall tell you my Sentiments, 
as well as his own, inter crimina ingrati ank 
mi et hoc duco, Naturam ignorare . 
I am, Sir, 
Your fin cere Friend, and moil 
humble Servant, 
/ 
CHAP. 
