Royal Society. 177 
the great ocean, and they are no otherwife regarded than as 
they ferve to make fnuff boxes. 
There are four forts of them ^ the fir ft is what is commonly 
called at Jamaica^ Cocoons-^ by Dr. Slone^ 'Thafeolus ma^imus 
pererwis, folio decompofito lobo maximo contorto 5 it grows in both 
the Eaft- and IVeft-Indies \ it is alfo faid to be thrown up on the 
coaft of Kerry in Ireland ; the lecond Ibrt is what, in yatnaka^ 
they commonly call ih^ Horfe-eye-bean^ from its refcmblance to 
the eye of that animal, by means of a HiluSy or weir, which 
almoft furrounds it ; this alfo is common in leveral parts of the 
Eaft' and Weft-Indies -j the third kind is that, which in 7^- 
maica is called Jft] -coloured Nickar^ from its being perfedly 
round, and very like a Nickar^ fuch as boys ufe to play with- 
al ; this is alfo common in the hot parts of the Eaft- and JVeft- 
Indies j the fourth fort is the fru6lus e%ot. orbicularis fulc is 
fiervifque diftinBus quatuor, feufruBiis alter fplendens^ ^fakis 
diftin^us^ C. B. authors are iilent as to the place of its growth. 
It is ealy to conceive, that the beans, growing in the woods 
in Jamaica, iliould fall from the trees into the rivers, and be 
thence conveyed into the fea5 it is alfo eafy to believe, that 
being in the fea, and floating therein in the neighbourhood 
of that ifland, they may be carried from thence by the wind 
and currents, which is there conftantly eaft, and being ftopped 
by the main continent o{ America, is forced, thro' the gulph of 
Florida, or canal o^ "Bahama, into the northern American fea ; 
for the Lenticula marina f err at is foliis, Lob, or SargaJJo, grows 
on the rocks about Jamaica, and is carried by the winds and 
currents, which for the moft part go impetuoufly the fame way, 
towards the coaft of Florida, and thence into the northern 
American ocean, where it lies very thick on the furface of the 
feas^ but how thefe beans fhould come the reft of their way, 
is not fo eafy to determine, unlefs we fuppofe that being car- 
ried northwards by the current from the gulph o{ Florida, they 
/liould fall in the way of thewtfterly wind, which generally 
blows at leaft two parts of three of the whole year, and they 
may be fuppofed by this means at leaft- to arrive in Scotland. 
And it is reafonable to think that the winds and currents 
brought from ^W(?r/V^ to the Azores and Tor to Santo tho^o 
feveral things, which are recorded by Fernandez Colon, in the 
life-of his father Cbriftopber, to be fome of the rcafons that 
moved the faid Cior. Columbus to attempt the difcovery of the 
Weft- Indies. 
Vol. hi. Z A large 
