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be stifled in the same manner of an animall though not altogether soe
suddenly. but Length of time would make them grow pale, sick and Dye.

Sr. Iohn Hoskins mentiond the obseruations way of whitening plants by bury
ing the stalks & Leaues in the earth. as also that plants would wither & Dye
if they were kept in a close air in a house.

Dr. Croon affirmed that plants would grow in water not wthstanding they were couerd
and kept from the Air. This occasion some Dispute It was orderd that mr.
Hunt should make tryall thereof, whether a plant from wch. the air was
wholly excluded would grow at all.

And further It was Desired that some other experiments should be made
whether plants would grow in a pent air. and


mr. Hooke mentiond an obseruation he had seuerall times taken notice
of of to wit that some of those plants that had been set to grow in glasses
of water would after a certaine time begin to pine and wither wast and
at Length be . . . all ouer couerd wth. small insects which in a short time would all
begon & Leaue nothing but their husks behind, sticking all ouer the surface of the
plant and at the same time also the plant perfectly Dead and withered -
as if the plant had been nothing els but the nurse or Dam of those insects
and that the spirit of the or life of the plant had flown away in the Insects.
and had only lasted till it had brought forth that Liuing animall ofspring.
He also mentiond that he had obserued seuerall other things in plants of the
like nature wch seemd to hint some such theory.

Dr. Pell herevpon calld to mind a certain fungus formerly giuen by him to the Repository wch in a short
space was converted all into wormes and nothing of the Musrome Left but a Little Dust. this was
confirmd by mr Hooke who had taken notice of that strange metamorphosis.
Dr. Gale mentiond that Plants would grow though they were perfectly couerd wth
water. soe as noe part touched the air.
It was further added that there were seuerall sorts of sea plants wch. grew on the rocks
at the bottom of the sea at a good distance from the air
neuerthelesse it twas supposed that the air Did Influence such plants, that that
those plants would not grow if they had not fresh air comunicated to them
by the water. And herevpon it was obserued that plants would wither at bottom
of the Riuer after a long drouht though they were still couerd wth. water.
that fish would be stifled in water if It were not exposed to the fresh
air, and often supplyed wth. fresh water.

Dr. Grew mentiond that It was common for a sort of mushromes mould or mother
to grow in water close stopped vp in Bottles

mr. Henshaw also mentiond the obseruation of mosse growing vpon the very substance -
of glasse. and seeming to feed vpon it and eat into the very substance of it
He also mentiond the way of making spunk out of mushrooms brown paper by boyling -
it in salt peter

Ref: CELL/RS/HF_226  © Centre for Editing Lives and Letters