in Arabia Petra^a &c. ^87 



doth not properly belong to it. It hath been thought more 

 proper therefore to tranflatc ^^D cz2» The Sea of Weeds , or 

 The Weedy Sea ' , from the Variety of ^/gte and Fiici, that 

 grow within it's Channel, and, at low Water particularly, 

 are left in great Quantities upon the Sea Shore. 



Though the marine Botany is very entertaining, yet X\\q,xq other n^rm 

 is an additional Pleafure in obferving the great Variety of J" "' "''' 

 Urchins, Stars, and Shells, which prefent themfelves at the 

 fame Time. The Firft are moft of them beautiful and un-Uicinn?. 

 common. We find fome that are flat and unarmed, of the 

 Tentaphylloid Kind : others that are oval, or elfe globular;, 

 very elegantly ftudded all over with little Knobbs, which fup- 

 port fo many Prickles. This Sort of Armour is fometimes 

 thicker than a Swan's Quill ; fmooth and pointed in fome 

 Species', but blunt and rough, like the Lapides Judaici, in 

 others. The moft curious Star which I faw, made, with it's Sca scar?. 

 five Rays, (or Fingers as we may call them) a Circumference 

 of nine Inches m Diameter. It was convex above, guarded all 

 over with Knobbs, like fome of the Echini, but the under 

 Side was flat and fmoother, having a flit or furrow, capable 

 of expanding or contracting itfelf, running the whole Length 

 of each Finger. For this Part of the Fifli always lyeth open, 

 difplaying an infinite Number of fmall Filaments, not unlike in 

 Shape (what we commonly call) the Horns of Snails. Thefe 

 are fo many Mouths, continually fearching after Nourifliment ; 

 and as the Coralline Bodies have been obferved to be all Root, 

 the Star may be faid to be all Mouth; each of the little Fila- 

 ments, I have mentioned, performing that Oflice. By applying 

 the Hand to thefe little Mouths, we quickly perceive the Fa- 

 culty ^ which each of them hath, of fucking like a Cupping 

 Glafs : but no fooner is the Fifli removed into the Air, than 

 they let go their Holds, and the Furrow, which was before ex- 

 panded, is now immediately fluit up. There would be no End s'^^^^^- 

 of enumerating the great Diverfity of Shells which adorn the 

 Banks, or lye in the Shallows of the Red Sea. The Concha 



I However it (hould.not be omitted, that Lipcn'ius furni/heth us with a very ingenious 

 conjedlure in luppofing This, in Contradiltindtion perhaps to the SnjH CD' Great Sea 

 or Mediterr.uiea>i, to be the fame with a Sea that is chcumfcribed by (vifible) Bounds on 

 both Sides. Dicitur marc Sui^h Hibraice ex Rad. ^10 deficere, fmire, wide cji twmen '^'^0 funs 

 lea extremitas. Eccl. 3. n. Hlnc mare Suph eft in verbi mare finitum, limitatum, terminis 

 & litroribus circumfeptntn. Vid. Lipeiiij N^v'igat. Salomonis Ophnk. lUuftrat. JVitt. 1660. 

 p. 286. 



E e e e e 2 F'enen's 



