as subjects of the vegetable kingdom. They are in general attached 

 to other substances by a part, analagous, in its form, to a root ; from 

 which proceeds a trunk, ramifying into branches, which, at certain 

 times, appear to be beset with floweret* and fruits of beautiful and 

 fantastic forms. Their real nature was first ascertained by Peysonell, 

 who, in 1?27) communicated his observations respecting them to the 

 Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris. This accurate observer, not 

 only shewed that corals yielded, on the application of heat, such 

 products as peculiarly belonged to animal substances ; but also pointed 

 out several particulars respecting the coral polype, which could not 

 fail of determining, that corals belonged entirely to the animal king- 

 dom. The observations of Jussieu, Reaumur, Donati, and others, 

 confirmed this fact; which, however, was not so generally received, 

 but that several learned men still hesitated in admitting, that the 

 forms which corals bear could be derived from the powers of animal 

 life alone. All doubts were, however, removed by the observations of 

 Mr. Ellis, in his essay on the Natural History of Corallines, and of 

 many curious and uncommon Zoophytes. 



By the experiments of Mr. Hatchett, instituted for the purpose of 

 ascertaining the component parts, as well as the mode of formation, of 

 different zoophytes, our knowledge respecting these animals has been 

 very considerably increased. He was enabled by these experiments 

 to ascertain, that corals, and the numerous tribe of zoophytes, w r ith 

 which they are connected, differ, in composition, from the varieties of 

 bone and shell, only by the nature and quantity of the hardening 

 principle, and by the state of the substance with which it is mixed or 

 connected. The porcellaneous shells, such as cyprece, &c. were found 

 to be composed of animal gluten and carbonate of lime ; and to re- 

 semble, in their mode of formation, the enamel of teeth ; the earthy 

 matter being blended with the animal gluten. The pearly shells, or those 

 composed of nacre or mother of pearl, such as patella, &c. he found 

 to be composed of carbonate of lime, and a gelatinous, cartilaginous, 



VOL. II. C 



