22 ALBUMEN, OR NUTRITIVE MATTER. 
Spinach, presents, on having its testa removed, a large 
whitish substance (f. 6. a.), surrounded by the embryo 
(é.), a8 the cotyledons and heart together, are called. 
See also f. 10. which represents the seed of the 
Barberry cut open; a. is a white mealy mass surround- 
ing e. the embryo. Now in the Bean and Pea, the 
cotyledons are very thick, and contain a quantity of 
nutritive matter, intended to supply the young plant 
with nourishment while growing under ground, and 
before it can sustain itself by means of nourishment 
derived from the earth through its roots. This may 
be seen to be the case on examining the cotyledons 
of a Bean or Pea, as soon as the young plant has 
appeared above ground, when they will be found to be 
shrivelled up to some extent, and empty. The mealy 
mass in the Spinach and Beet, is termed Albumen: it 
is a store of similar nourishment for the embryo, which 
is small for its size. This Albumen forms a principal 
part of a grain of Wheat, and the Coffee grain, or Berry, 
as it is called, is entirely albumen or nutritive matter for 
the young plant, which was lodged in the groove on the 
face or flat side of the Coffee Berry, but has been lost 
during its preparation, The next subject, which is 
a grain of Wheat, presents on one side, a deep groove, 
and a whitish scar at one end, on the other (f. 7 e.): 
if cut across with a penknife, it will appear as a mass 
of meal or flour without any trace of a young plant 
in it; but if cut lengthways, beginning at the extremity 
without a scar, there will then be seen at the end where 
the scar exists (f. 8. ¢.), a small notch or cavity, in 
which will be found a yellow body, which is the 
