when the oak is sprouted two handfuls. In lupines these pulpy sides do sometimes arise with the stalk in the re

the first vegetable atome, although the observation bee hard, and cannot soe neerly bee observed in any production as that of duckweed, from water kept in thinne glasses, wherin the leaves and roote will suddenly appeare where you suspected nothing before. And if the water bee never soe narrowlie wached, yet if you can perceive any alteration or atome as bigge as a needles poynt, within 3 or 4 howers, the plant will bee discoverable.

You have excellently delivered your sense in this you pleasd to send mee, and I desire you to pursue your conceptions in these and other worthie enquiries, and in the interim and at your leasure to consider, whether, if wee make our observations in ashkeys, maples, hardbowes, acornes, plummes, &c. then when the leaves and stemme are playnly found, the inference will bee soe satisfactorie and current as if observed higher before the pulpe bee formed, when the seed is in a gellie; for even at that time I seeme to find some rudiment of these parts in plummes, for otherwise men will not allow this to bee soe high a beginning of formation as is in the egge, after sometime when the galba or maggot-like shape beginnes to showe itself.

Though wee actually find the leaves and roote in these seeds, yet since other dissimilarie parts are accounted essential unto the same plants, as truncus, rami, surculi, whether these parts are not rather potentially therin, which are not discovered or produced untill a long time after.

The roote of white bryonie and some others, cutt in sunder and divided, produce newe rootes, shoote forth leaves, and soe growe on after a seminall progression, or as though they had been produced from seed: now whether in these peeces of rootes or any other there bee any actuall delineation of the plant at first as in seeds, may fall under consideration.

Dr. Hamie, whoe makes egges proportionall unto seeds, always insists upon the graduall displaye of parts potentially latent in them; yet even that the animall foetus is delinneated at first though not demonstrable unto sence seems not wholly inuisible unto reason. And therefore herin Courueus contendeth with Dr. Hamie that a delineation is made at first, butt the parts made visible after, that they are not delineated per epigenesia, or one after another, butt in a cercle, or all together, as Hippocrates expresseth, though to be discoverable successively or one after another.

That there is a naturall sensitive in plants, as Dr. Hamey hath discoursed seemes verie allowable, and besides some other reasons, from the experiment of the sensible plant; which is also to bee found in minor degree in some others, as jacea, scabious, thistles and such as Borellus observed and published some years agoe, and might bee observed in others; such a sense may bee in plant-animals and in the parts of perfect animals even when the head is cutt of.

Dear Sir, I wish my time would permitt my communication with you in

cut

away,

semblance of two fat leaves. Wheat and rye will grow up, if after they have shot some tender roots, the adhering pulp be taken from them. Beans will prosper though a part be and so much set as sufficeth to contain and keep the germen close. From this superfluous pulp, in unkindly and wet years, may arise that multiplicity of little insects, which infest the roots and sprouts of tender grains and pulses.4

In the little nib or fructifying principle, the motion is regular, and not transvertible, as to make that ever the leaf, which nature intended the root; observable from their conversion, until they attain their right position, if seeds be set inversedly.

In vain we expect the production of plants from different parts of the seed; from the same corculum or little original proceed both germinations; and in the power of this slender particle lie many roots and sprouts, that though the same be pulled away, the generative particle will renew them again, and proceed to a perfect plant; and malt may be observed. to grow, though the cummes be fallen from it.

The seminal nib hath a defined and single place, and not extended unto both extremes. And therefore many too vulgarly conceive that barley and oats grow at both ends; for they arise from one punctilio or generative nib, and the spear sliding under the husk, first appeareth nigh the top. But in wheat and rye being bare, the sprouts are seen together. If barley unhulled would grow, both would

any proportion to my desires, wherin I should never bee wearie, whereby I might continue the delight I have formerly had by many serious dis courses with my old friend your good father, whose memorie is still fresh with mee and becomes more delightfull by this great enjoyment I have from his true and worthy sonne.

June 8.

Sir I am

Your ever faythfull true Friend and Servant,

THO. BROWNE.

How the sprouts of seeds carrie up their coat about them I have best observed in coriander seeds.

4

My wife comends her respects unto yourself and lady.

from this superfluous pulp, &c.] This is a very probable explanation, though, we believe, it is not quite in accordance with some modern prevalent opinions.—Br.

appear at once. But in this and oatmeal the nib is broken away, which makes them the milder food and less apt to raise fermentation in decoctions.

Men taking notice of what is outwardly visible, conceive a sensible priority in the root. But as they begin from one part, so they seem to start and set out upon one signal of nature. In beans yet soft, in peas while they adhere unto the cod, the rudimental leaf and root are discoverable. In the seeds of rocket and mustard, sprouting in glasses of water, when the one is manifest, the other is also perceptible. In muddy waters apt to breed duckweed, and periwinkles, if the first and rudimental strokes of duckweed be observed, the leaves and root anticipate not each other. But in the date-stone the first sprout is neither root nor leaf distinctly, but both together; for the germination being to pass through the narrow navel and hole about the midst of the stone, the generative germ is fain to enlengthen itself, and shooting out about an inch, at that distance divideth into the ascending and descending portion.

And though it be generally thought, that seeds will root at the end, where they adhere to their originals, and observable it is that the nib sets most often next the stalk, as in grains, pulses, and most small seeds :-yet is it hardly made out in many greater plants. For in acorns, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, and acuminated shells, the germ puts forth at the remotest part of the pulp. And therefore to set seeds in that posture, wherein the leaf and roots may shoot right without contortion, or forced circumvolution which might render them strongly rooted, and straighter, were a criticism in agriculture. And nature seems to have made some provision hereof in many from their figure, that as they fall from the tree they may lie in positions agreeable to such advantages.

Beside the open and visible testicles of plants, the seminal powers lie in great part invisible, while the sun finds polypody in stone-walls, the little stinging nettle and nightshade in barren sandy highways, scurvy-grass in Greenland, and unknown plants in earth brought from remote countries. Beside the known longevity of some trees, what is the most lasting herb, or seed, seems not easily determinable. Mandrakes upon known account have lived near an hundred

years. Seeds found in wildfowls' gizzards have sprouted in the earth. The seeds of marjoram and stramonium carelessly kept, have grown after seven years. Even in garden plots long fallow, and digged up, the seeds of blattaria and yellow henbane, after twelve years' burial, have produced themselves again.

*

That bodies are first spirits Paracelsus could affirm, which in the maturation of seeds and fruits, seem obscurely implied by Aristotle, when he delivereth, that the spirituous parts are converted into water, and the water into earth; and attested by observation in the maturative progress of seeds, wherein at first may be discerned a flatuous distension of the husk, afterwards a thin liquor, which longer time digesteth into a pulp or kernel, observable in almonds and large nuts. And some way answered in the progressional perfection of animal semination, in its spermatical maturation from crude pubescency unto perfection. And even that seeds themselves in their rudimental discoveries, appear in foliaceous surcles, or sprouts within their coverings, in a diaphanous jelly, before deeper incrassation, is also visibly verified in cherries, acorns, plums.

From seminal considerations, either in reference unto one mother, or distinction from animal production, the Holy Scripture describeth the vegetable creation; and while it divideth plants but into herb and tree, though it seemeth to make but an accidental division, from magnitude, it tacitly containeth the natural distinction of vegetables, observed by herbalists, and comprehending the four kinds. For since the most natural distinction is made from the production of leaf or stalk, and plants after the two first seminal leaves, do either proceed to send forth more leaves, or a stalk, and the folious and stalky emission distinguisheth herbs and trees, they stand authentically differenced but from the accidents of the stalk.

The equivocal production of things under undiscerned principles, makes a large part of generation, though they seem to hold a wide univocacy in their set and certain originals, while almost every plant breeds its peculiar insect,

*In Met. cum Cabeo.

In a large acception it compriseth all vegetables for the frutex and suffrutex are under the progression of trees.

most a butterfly, moth or fly, wherein the oak seems to contain the largest seminality, while the julus,* oak-apple, pill, woolly tuft, foraminous roundless upon the leaf, and grapes underground make a fly with some difference. The great variety of flies lies in the variety of their originals; in the seeds of caterpillars or cankers there lieth not only a butterfly or moth, but if they be sterile or untimely cast, their production is often a fly, which we have also observed from corrupted and mouldered eggs both of hens and fishes; to omit the generation of bees out of the bodies of dead heifers, or what is strange, yet well attested, the production of eels in the backs of living cods and perches.7+

The exiguity and smallness of some seeds extending to large productions, is one of the magnalities of nature, somewhat illustrating the work of the creation, and vast production from nothing. The true‡ seeds of cypress and rampions are indistinguishable by old eyes. Of the seeds of tobacco a thousand make not one grain. The disputed seeds of hartstongue and maidenhair, require a great number. From such undiscernable seminalities arise spontaneous productions. He that would discern the rudimental stroke of a plant, may behold it in the original of duckweed, at the bigness of a pin's point, from convenient water in glasses, wherein a watchful eye may also discover the puncticular originals of periwinkles and gnats.

* These and more to be found upon our oaks; not well described by any till the edition of Theatrum Botanicum.

+ Schoneveldus de Pisc.

5

+ Doctissim. Lauremburg. Hort.

foraminous roundles.] Perforated, roundle, a round.

6 in the seeds, &c.] The fact is that certain of the ichneumonida deposit their eggs in lepidopterous larvæ, by piercing the skin with their ovipositor; these eggs thrive, hatch-the larvæ resulting feed on the entrails of that which contain them :-in due time they spin into chrysalides, and, at the period of maturity, instead of one moth, there springs forth a covey of ichneumons, which Browne calls flies.

7 production of eels.] The parasites here alluded to, as will readily be concluded, are not eels, but belong to the entozoa of Rudolphi, or intestinal worms: in the case of the perch, they are referrible to the genus Cucullanus. Their general aspect sufficiently resembles that of the eel to excuse the error of the old naturalists; but our author himself, we apprehend, had not examined them, or his sagacity and accurate observation could not have failed to ascertain both their distinction from eels and somewhat of their true nature.-Br.