pressing her
Needle-work, or imbroidery.

Next a downy or bushy surface, such as is all the under side almost,
appearing through the _Microscope_ much like a thicket of bushes, and with
this kind of Down or Hair the leaves and stalks of multitudes of Vegetables
are covered; and there seems to be as great a variety in the shape, bulk,
and manner of the growing of these secundary Plants, as I may call them
(they being, as it were, a Plant growing out of a Plant, or somewhat like
the hairs of Animals) as there is to be found amongst small shrubs that
compose bushes; but for the most part, they consist of small transparent
parts, some of which grow in the shape of small Needles or Bodkins, as on
the Thistle, Cowag-ecod and Nettle; others in the form of Cat's claws, as
in Cliders, the beards of Barley, the edges of several sorts of Grass and
Reeds, &c. in other, as Coltsfoot, Rose-campion, Aps, Poplar, Willow, and
almost all other downy Plants, they grow in the form of bushes very much
diversify'd in each particular Plant, That which I have before in the 19.
Observation noted on Rose-leaves, is of a quite differing kind, and seems
indeed a real Vegetable, distinct from the leaf.

Thirdly, among these small bushes are observable an infinite company of
small round Balls, exactly Globular, and very much resembling Pearls,
namely, CCCC, of these there maybe multitudes observ'd in Sage, and several
other Plants, which I suppose was the reason why _Athanasius Kircher_
supposed them to be all cover'd with Spiders Eggs, or young Spiders, which
indeed is nothing else but some kind of gummous exsudation, which is always
much of the same bigness. At first sight of these, I confess, I imagin'd
that they might have been some kind of _matrices_, or nourishing
receptacles for some small Insect, just as I have found Oak-apples, and
multitudes of such other large excrescencies on the leaves and other parts
of Trees and shrubs to be for Flyes, and divers other Insects, but
observing them to be there all the year, and scarce at all to change their
magnitude, that conjecture seem'd not so probable. But what ever be the use
of it, it affords a very pleasant object through the _Microscope_, and may,
perhaps, upon further examination, prove very luciferous.

* * * * *

Observ. XXV. _Of the stinging points and juice of _Nettles_, and some other
venomous Plants._

A Nettle is a Plant so well known to every one, a