ores of Wood or Piths, as the
_Valves_ in the heart, veins, and other passages of Animals, that open and
give passage to the contain'd fluid juices one way, and shut themselves,
and impede the passage of such liquors back again, yet have I not hitherto
been able to say any thing positive in it; though, me thinks, it seems very
probable, that Nature has in these passages, as well as in those of Animal
bodies, very many appropriated Instruments and contrivances, whereby to
bring her designs and end to pass, which 'tis not improbable, but that some
diligent Observer, if help'd with better _Microscopes_, may in time detect.

And that this may be so, seems with great probability to be argued from the
strange _Phaenomena_ of sensitive Plants, wherein Nature seems to perform
several Animal actions with the same _Schematism_ or _Orginization_ that is
common to all Vegetables, as may appear by some no less instructive then
curious Observations that were made by divers Eminent Members of the _Royal
Society_ on some of these kind of Plants, whereof an account was delivered
in to them by the most Ingenious and Excellent _Physician_, Doctor _Clark_,
which, having that liberty granted me by that most Illustrious Society, I
have hereunto adjoyn'd.

_Observations on the _Humble_ and _Sensible Plants_ in _M Chiffin's_ Garden
in Saint _James_'s Park, made _August_ the _9th, 1661_._ _Present, the_
Lord _Brouncker_, Sr. _Robert Moray_, Dr. _Wilkins_, Mr. _Evelin_, Dr.
_Henshaw_, _and_ Dr. _Clark_.

There are four Plants, two of which are little shrub Plants, with a
little short stock, about an Inch above the ground, from whence are
spread several sticky branches, round, streight, and smooth in the
distances between the Sprouts, but just under the Sprouts there are two
sharp thorny prickles, broad in the letting on, as in the Bramble, one
just under the Sprout, the other on the opposite side of the branch.

[14]The distances betwixt the Sprouts are usually something more then
an Inch, and many upon a Branch, according to its length, and they grew
so, that if the lower Sprout be on the left side of the Branch, the
next above is on the right, and so to the end, not sprouting by pairs.

At the end of each Sprout are generally four sprigs, two at the
Extremity, and one on each side, just under it. At the first sprouting
of these from the Branch to the Sprig where the leaves grow, they are