Page:Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, Volume 12.djvu/74

52 The above observations were chiefly made in 1810 and 1811, and have been communicated to several persons, but never to my knowledge made public. From an examination which I made to-day on a leaf of the S. flava about half grown, I am led to suspect that the surface, where the fly stands so unsteadily, and from which it finally drops down to the bottom of the tube, is either covered with an impalpable and loose powder, or that the extremely attenuated pubescence is loose. This surface gives to the touch the sensation of the most perfect smoothness. The use of a good microscope will determine this point.

IX. Obser-