xiv Introduction. 



Immediately afterwards pluck the Corallines off the Shells, 

 and put them in Bottles of Spirits as before. When they 

 are received, in order to be examined, you muft provide 

 long narrow Bottles of Chryftal-glafs to put the different 

 Sorts in ; thefe mufl: have wide Mouths, and be filled with 

 the cleareft Spirits, but not flronger than Proof- Brandy ; 

 and of fuch a Diameter as fhall be agreeable to the Focus of 

 the Glafs you propofe to examine them by. If thefe Bottles 

 are properly flopped to prevent the Spirits evaporating, it 

 will be the beft Method I know of keeping thefe extraordi- 

 nary Plant-like Animals in a Condition capable of convince- 

 ing the moft incredulous of their Nature and Origin. 



It will be neceffary to inform the Curious, that Experi- 

 ments of this Kind fucceed beft in warm Weather ; the 

 Animals being generally found contrad:ed and torpid during 

 the Winter-Seafon. 



The foregoing Obfervations, on the Nature of the Veficu 

 latcd and Celliferous Corallines, gave me the firft Hints into 

 the Formation of the Keratophyta ; which was the more fa- 

 tisfadlory to me, as this Clafs of Beings ftill paffes among very 

 fenfible and curious Naturalifts for mere Vegetables, but in- 

 crufted over by Accident, like many other Plants, with the 

 Nefts of certain Species of Infeds peculiar to fuch particular 

 Kind of Plants. 



In the Cabinets of the Curious, we meet with Specimens 

 of fome Species of thefe Keratophyta^ fo nearly allied to fome 

 of our veficulated Corallines, with large Denticles, that they 

 feem to claim an Alliance to both Claffes. One of thefe is 

 defcribed in Plate XXVI. at Fig. S. 



The reft of this Clafs of Keratophyta^ I found to corre- 

 fpond with the Veficulated and Celliferous Claffes, in fuch 

 material Points, as left me no Room to doubt, but that, if 



one 



