DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68888#0222
M I C R OGR AH P I A.
and cold. And were this Principle very well examin’d, I am very apt to
think, it would afford us a very great help to find out the Mechanism
of the Muscles, which indeed,as farr as I have hitherto been able to ex-
amine, seems to me not lb very perplex as one might imagine,especially
upon the examination which I made of the Muscles of Crabr,Lobfiers^r\<\
several sorts of large Shell-fish,and comparing my Observations on them,
with the circumstances I observ’d in the muscles of terrestrial Animals.
Now, as in this Instance of the Beard of a wilde Oat, we see there is
nothing else requisite to make it wreath and unwreath it self, and to
{heighten and bend its knee, then onely a little breath of moist or dry
Air, or a small atoms almost of water or liquor, and a little heat to make
it again evaporate 5 for, by holding this Beard, plac’d and fix’d as I be-
sore dire&ed, neer a Fire, and dipping the tip of a small shred of Paper
in well rectify’d spirit of Wine, and then touching the wreath’d Cylin-
drical part,you may perceive it to untwist it self 5 and presently again,up-
on the avolation of the spirit, by the great heat, it will re-twist it self,
and thus will it move forward and backwards as oft as you repeat the
touching it with the spirit of Wine 5 so may, perhaps, the shrinking and
relaxing of the muscles be by the inssux and evaporation of seme kind
of liquor or juice. But of this Enquiry I (hall add more elsewhere.
Observ . X X V11L Os the Seeds os Venus loohjng-glap, or Corn
Violet.
FRom the Leaves, and Downs, and Beards of Plants,we come at last to
the Seeds 5 and here indeed seems to be the Cabinet of Nature,where-
in are laid up its Jewels. The providence of Nature about Vegetables,is in
no part manifested more,then in the various contrivances about the seed,
nor indeed is there in any part of the Vegetable sb curious carvings, and
beautifull adornments, as about the seed 5 this in the larger sorts of seeds
is most evident to the eye 5 nor is it lest manisest through the Microfeope,
inthose seeds whose shape and stru&ure, by reaibn os their smalness, the
eye is hardly able to distinguish.
Of these there are multitudes, many of which I have observ’d through
a Microfeope, and find, that they do, for the most part, every one afford
exceeding pleasant and beautifull objects. For besides thole that have
various kinds of carv’d surfaces, there are other that have smooth and
persectly polishd surfaces, others a downy hairy surface j some are
cover’d onely withaskin, others with a kind ofshell, others with both,
as is obfervable also in greater seeds.
Of these seeds I have onely described four sorts which may serve as a
Specimen of what the inquisitive observers are likely to find among the
rest. The first os these feeds which are defcribed in the 17. Scheme, are
thofe of Corn-Violets, the feed is very small, black, and shining, and, to
the naked eye, looks almost like a very small Flea j But through the
Microfiope
and cold. And were this Principle very well examin’d, I am very apt to
think, it would afford us a very great help to find out the Mechanism
of the Muscles, which indeed,as farr as I have hitherto been able to ex-
amine, seems to me not lb very perplex as one might imagine,especially
upon the examination which I made of the Muscles of Crabr,Lobfiers^r\<\
several sorts of large Shell-fish,and comparing my Observations on them,
with the circumstances I observ’d in the muscles of terrestrial Animals.
Now, as in this Instance of the Beard of a wilde Oat, we see there is
nothing else requisite to make it wreath and unwreath it self, and to
{heighten and bend its knee, then onely a little breath of moist or dry
Air, or a small atoms almost of water or liquor, and a little heat to make
it again evaporate 5 for, by holding this Beard, plac’d and fix’d as I be-
sore dire&ed, neer a Fire, and dipping the tip of a small shred of Paper
in well rectify’d spirit of Wine, and then touching the wreath’d Cylin-
drical part,you may perceive it to untwist it self 5 and presently again,up-
on the avolation of the spirit, by the great heat, it will re-twist it self,
and thus will it move forward and backwards as oft as you repeat the
touching it with the spirit of Wine 5 so may, perhaps, the shrinking and
relaxing of the muscles be by the inssux and evaporation of seme kind
of liquor or juice. But of this Enquiry I (hall add more elsewhere.
Observ . X X V11L Os the Seeds os Venus loohjng-glap, or Corn
Violet.
FRom the Leaves, and Downs, and Beards of Plants,we come at last to
the Seeds 5 and here indeed seems to be the Cabinet of Nature,where-
in are laid up its Jewels. The providence of Nature about Vegetables,is in
no part manifested more,then in the various contrivances about the seed,
nor indeed is there in any part of the Vegetable sb curious carvings, and
beautifull adornments, as about the seed 5 this in the larger sorts of seeds
is most evident to the eye 5 nor is it lest manisest through the Microfeope,
inthose seeds whose shape and stru&ure, by reaibn os their smalness, the
eye is hardly able to distinguish.
Of these there are multitudes, many of which I have observ’d through
a Microfeope, and find, that they do, for the most part, every one afford
exceeding pleasant and beautifull objects. For besides thole that have
various kinds of carv’d surfaces, there are other that have smooth and
persectly polishd surfaces, others a downy hairy surface j some are
cover’d onely withaskin, others with a kind ofshell, others with both,
as is obfervable also in greater seeds.
Of these seeds I have onely described four sorts which may serve as a
Specimen of what the inquisitive observers are likely to find among the
rest. The first os these feeds which are defcribed in the 17. Scheme, are
thofe of Corn-Violets, the feed is very small, black, and shining, and, to
the naked eye, looks almost like a very small Flea j But through the
Microfiope