VOL. XXVI.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 427 



the space of the coral itself, and between these cavities the parts of the coral 

 were solid and close. In each of those cavities there was a thin membrane, that 

 resembled a bit of a dried leaf, because the long parts, that appeared in great 

 numbers in them, seemed to be canals or vessels ; but, on a strict examination, 

 I judged them to be coagulated salt particles, and the rather, because they were 

 sharp at both ends. But I own, that I cannot conceive how such particles should 

 be found in the middle of the coral, especially if we allow that substance to 

 receive its nourishment and increase in the same manner as other plants. For 

 further satisfaction, 1 took a little piece of very fine shining red coral, and put 

 it into the fire, when a little heat caused the tine red to vanish, and turn it to 

 an ash colour. Its superficies still retained the same smoothness, but under it 

 the particles seemed like ribs extended lengthwise in the coral ; and these rib- 

 like particles composed a circle of round scales, and several roundnesses were 

 made by those rib-like particles, till the middle point of the coral, in which 

 there was no opening, became a long single particle. Having observed that 

 the coral, by heating, did not burst in pieces, but was only split or rent in one 

 place, I imagined that the matter, which was driven out of the coral by the 

 heat of the fire, evaporated through that rent ; or else that the parts of the 

 coral being opened by the heat, the moisture in the internal parts might be 

 drawn up towards the external ones. 



Afterwards I put a small piece of coral into a glass, and the glass into the 

 fire, increasing the heat till the glass was melted ; then preserving the matter 

 that was extracted as well as I could, and viewing it through a microscope, I 

 discovered a waterish moisture, which to the naked eye seemed yellowish, and 

 mingled with a vast number of small particles, which made the liquor thick and 

 turbid, as also a yellowish oil, which, where it lay thickest, was of a reddish 

 colour. 



I also laid some other pieces of coral upon glowing wood coals, and put them 

 into so great a heat, that the colour turned from red to a fine white ; and in 

 that condition I threw it into some clear rain water, then its parts were imme- 

 diately separated, and most of it changed into a white and chalky-like substance ; 

 and the reason why all the rest of the coral was not dissolved was, because a 

 sufficient heat could not reach it ; for when I took the remainder, and heated 

 it as I had done before, the same effect was produced in that likewise. The 

 water in which the coral was quenched had not stood a minute, when 1 perceived 

 a scum or film of salt particles, with which it had been impregnated, upon its 

 surface, and consisting of such a vast number of small salts joined together, 

 that it was impossible to discover their figure. 



After the water had stood some hours, I observed abundance of salt particles, 



3x2 



