IS 



round balls, something larger than a pin's head : on* 

 each side of the body there are two skinny membranes, 

 with which he can cover himself all over. The fore- 

 part of the body is quite filled with a black fluid. 

 When it is pursued, it discharges this, -which colours 

 the water all around, and renders it invisible. This 

 is a wonderful gift of nature, for the preservation of 

 an animal, otherwise utterly helpless. 



The Arborescent S(ar-Fish is another of the curiosi- 

 ties of nature. It is upwards of a foot in diameter, 

 having its mouth in the middle. The figure of the 

 trunk is pentangular, and from the five angles arise as 

 many branches which subdivide into several others, 

 and those again into others that are less, till the last 

 are scarce thicker than horse-hairs, and in number 

 above a thousand. In swimming he spreads all these 

 branches like a net; and when he perceives any prey 

 within them, draws them in again, and so takes them 

 with all the dexterity of a fisherman^ 



Full as surprising a creature is theTorpedo, aflat fish ? 

 much like a thorn- back. It is common on the coast 

 of Provence, and is eaten without any ill effect. But . 

 upon touching it with the finger, the person commonly 

 (though not always) feels an unusual painful numb, 

 ness, which suddenly seizes him up to the elbow, and 

 sometimes up to the shoulder. It resembles^ but far 

 exceeds, the pain felt by striking the elbow violently 

 against a hard body. But it lasts only a few mo- 

 ments, and gradually wears away. If a man touch 

 it even with a stick, he feels a little of it. If he pres- 

 ses his hand strongly against it, the numbness is tho 

 less ; but it is so uneasy as to oblige him, very speedily, 

 to let it go. Many have attempted to account for 

 this; but should we not rather honestly own our ig 

 norance ? 



The Sea- Nettle, so called, is another strange pro- 

 duction of nature^ common, I suppose, ia all the 



