ITALY. LETTER XXI. 29! 



into which the cabinet of Rumphius had been in- 

 ferted. I noticed, among many other curiofities, 



1. A human fkull, incruftated by a marine ani- 

 mal production, called Poms cervinus, with a 

 piece of branchy coral flicking to it; fifhed up 

 from the bottom of the fea ; and incruftated with 

 thefe coralline fubftances, as bottles and other 

 things are commonly ufed to be ; remarkable as 

 being the fame which Gaflendi has defcribed and 

 drawn. 



2. Petrified corals or lithophytes in common 

 flint (Jilex), from the Univerfity of Oxford. 



3. A ring of quartz- cryftal, fet in gold; con- 

 taining a hole, half-filled with water, in which 

 a fmall infecl: is obferved fwimming. I have con- 

 vinced myfelf, by repeated clofe examination, of 

 its being really an infect; which I doubted at firft 

 fight. 



4. A large fine-green emerald, in a perfedt co- 

 lumnar merl-form, in quartz *. 



5. Yellow round pebbles, from the Nile, called 

 Cailloux d'Egypte, hollow, and within incruftated 

 by fmall quartz-cryftals. 



6. Fallow copper-ore, from fome ancient mines 

 near Seravezza in Tufcany. 



* The like to be feen in the Britifli Mufeum, formerly be- 

 icnging'to Sir Hans Sloane* 



U 2 7. Gin* 



