Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 002.djvu/24

 To which may be added, the Trials of putting in a Vial full of water, some of those Herbs that will shoot and grow in water alone, including them in such a Receiver, and pumping out what Air you can, to see whether they will then shoot, or not?

And though some of these Proposals have been formerly begun to be Experimented, yet ought they to be diligently prosecuted, to fee how far the Air is necessary to Vegetation; and whether Plants do indeed live as much upon the Air, as the Earth; and the Branches of them are rooted (as it were) in and quickned by the Air, as their Roots are planted and nourisht in and by the Earth?

The Experiment heretofore made of this kinde, was, That some Lettice-seed being sown upon some Earth in the open Air; and some of the same Seed at the same time upon other Earth in a Glass-Receiver of the above mentioned Engine, afterwards exhausted of Air, the Seed exposed to the Air was grown up an inch and a half high, within eight days; but that in the exhausted Receiver, not at all. And, Air being again admitted into the said emptied Receiver, to see whether any of the Seed would then come up; it was found, that in the space of one week it was grown up to the height of two or three Inches.

Concerning Emmets or Ants, their Eggs, Production, Progress, coming to Maturity, Use, &c.

This was communicated by Doctor Edmund King, Fellow of the R. Society, at the Instance of the Publisher, as followeth.

Here have occurr'd to my Observation but three sorts of Ants, commonly without Wings; vid. Very Black, Dark Brown, and the third sort of near the colour usually call'd Philemort.

2. Each kind inhabit by themselves in their several Banks; two sorts seldom or never being found together; and if either of the other two sorts be put into the black Ants Bank, 'tis worth observing, what enmity there is betwixt these little Creatures, and with what violence the Black ones will seize on the Red, never leaving to pinch them on the head with their Forceps or Claws, till they have kill'd them upon the place: which done, they will Rh