50 NATURAL HISTORY. 



Experiment solitary touching the growth of coral. 



780. In the sea, upon the south-west of Sicily, much 

 coral is found. 1 It is a submarine plant. It hath no 

 leaves : it brancheth only when it is under water ; it is 

 soft, and green of colour ; but being brought into the 

 air, it becometh hard and shining red, as we see. It 



O 



is said also to have a white berry ; but we find it not 

 brought over with coral. Belike it is cast away as 

 nothing worth : inquire better of it, for the discovery 

 of the nature of the plant. 



Experiment solitary touching the gathering of manna. 



781. The manna of Calabria is the best, and in 

 most plenty. 2 They gather it from the leaf of the 

 mulberry-tree ; but not of such mulberry-trees as 

 grow in the valleys. And manna falleth upon the 

 leaves by night, as other dews do. It should ~seem 

 that before those dews come upon trees in the val 

 leys, they dissipate, and cannot hold out. It should 

 seem also, the mulberry-leaf itself hath some coagulat 

 ing virtue, which inspissateth the dew ; for that it is 

 not found upon other trees : and we see by the silk 

 worm, which feedeth upon that leaf, what a dainty 

 smooth juice it hath ; and the leaves also (especially 

 of the black mulberry) are somewhat bristly, which 

 may help to preserve the dew. Certainly it were not 

 amiss to observe a little better the dews that fall upon 

 trees, or herbs growing on mountains ; for it may be 

 many dews fall, that spend before they come to the 

 valleys. And I suppose that he that would gather the 

 best May-dew for medicine, should gather it from the 

 hills. 



l Sandys, p. 184. 2 j&amp;lt;}. p . 195. 



