STUDY XI; £75 



feparates into two, and thus prefents a double 

 hook. The configuration of this vegetable fifh is 

 completely fimilar in fize, and in form, to the 

 hook which is employed at fea for catching gold- 

 neys, and at the head of which is figured, in linen, 

 a flying-fifh, with this exception, that the gold- 

 ney-hook has but one curve and barb, whereas the 

 fhell of the martinia has two, which muft render 

 it's effect more infallible. This fhell contains 

 feveral black feeds, fhrivelled, and fimilar to the 

 globules of the fheep's dung flattened* 



As I poffefs but few books on Botany, I did not 

 know of what country the martinia was a native; 

 but having lately confulted the Work of Linnaus, 

 I find that we got it from Vera-Cruz. The cele- 

 brated Naturalift, whom I have juft mentioned, 

 difcovers, in this (hell, no refemblance but that of 

 a woodcock's head ; but had he ever feen the hook 

 for goldneys, he could not poffibly have hefitated 

 about preferring this fimilitude, in the appear- 

 ance, in as much as the extremity of this pretend- 

 ed beak beads back into two hooks, which prick 

 like needles, and are, as well as the whole fhell, 

 and the tail, by which it is united to the flem, of 

 a ligneous and horny fubflance, not eafily broken 

 afunder. John de Laet * tells us, that the land of 



* Hiftory of the Weft-Indies, book v. chap. 1 8= 



t 2 Vera- 



