29 
Water replete with air passes through the pores of the earth, and in this 
manner supplies with oxygen* those lobes which lie concealed within the 
ground, as the bean, fee. 
Most seeds, however, rise above the surface, expand their lobes to the 
zephyrs, and immediately, as in the lupin, they change from a pale yellow 
to a bright green. 
So attentive is Nature to her infant progeny, that, where the lobes are 
small, seminal leaved issue from the seed upon its first expansion: and /£( 
these have been called diddimilar leaved , from being totally unlike the leaves, 
which are afterwards protruded, for they possess a consistency approaching 
the nature of lobes, and are never found to have their borders serrated, like 
other leaves. 
When prepared and examined by the microscope their anatomy very 
nearly resembles that of the lobes. 
The origin of these seed-leaves did not indeed escape that great observer 
of nature, our countryman Grew, who remarks, “ that the dissimilar leaves 
for the most part are two, which first spring up, and are of a different shape 
from those that follow, being the very lobes of the seed itself, divided, ex¬ 
panded, and then advanced.” 
“ The impediment of our comprehension thereof are the colour, size, and 
shape of the dissimilar leaves. Notwithstanding that, they are nothing else 
but the main body of the seed, which how I came first to know was thus:” 
“ First, I observed in general, that the diddimilar leaved were never 
jagged, but even edged; and seeing the even verges of the lobes of the seed 
hereto respondent, I was induced to think, that those so resembling might 
prove the same.” 
“ Now, descending to particular seeds, I observed, first of the lupin, that, 
as to its colour, advancing above the ground, as it useth to do, it was always 
changed into a perfect green: and why might not the same, by parity of 
reason, be inferred of other seeds?” 
“ Secondly of the cucumber, whose seed, as to its colour, often appearing 
above ground, in its primitive white, from white it turns to yellow, and from 
yellow to green, the proper colour of the seminal leaf.” 
* The combination of air with water is very distinctly seen by means of the air-pump. If a glass 
containing rain water be exposed under the receiver, it will very soon shew on its surface air-bubbles; 
and this appearance will continue a long while, until all the bubbles burst, and the whole air be com¬ 
pletely disengaged. 
I 
