rOL. XXXVI.J PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 433 



fishes, serpents, insects, and plants, the greatest part of which have never been 

 described by any author, or no good figures given of them. He gives the de- 

 scriptions in English and French, with observations of air, soil, and water, 

 and an account of the agriculture, grain, pulse, roots, and other productions 

 of the country, with a map of the same. The author was near 4 years in these 

 parts, where he drew every thing from nature in their proper colours; in order 

 to make the coloured prints almost equal to his original paintings, he engraves 

 and colours them with his own hand. 



On the preternatural Delivery of a Foetus at the Anus. By Mr. Giffard, Sur- 

 geon. With an Examination of the Parts; by Mr. Nourse, one of the As- 

 sistant Surgeons to St. Bartholomew's Hospital; Demonstrator of Anatomy at 

 Surgeon's Hall, and F. R. S. N° 41 6, p. 435. 



About the middle of August ] 730, Mr. GifFard was sent for to a woman, 

 who then judged herself to be between 3 and 4 months gone with child; she 

 had all the symptoms preceding a miscarriage, and on touching, he found the os 

 tincae somewhat dilated; from whence he concluded a iniscarriage would ensue, 

 and therefore ordered what he thought proper to promote it. But he was some 

 time after informed by her husband, that though she before believed that she 

 had miscarried, yet that she now thought herself quick, as feeling something 

 to move within her belly, like what she had perceived after former quickenings. 

 Thus it passed on for about 6 or 7 weeks; in which time she grew much 

 larger, and the motion became more perceptible; so that there remained no 

 doubt of her being with child. About the 3d of October she was seized with 

 violent pains in her belly and back; which daily increasing, her sister came to 

 him on the 6th, when he went to her, and found her labouring under very 

 great pains, and other complaints like those preceding a iniscarriage or delivery. 



rida, he visited the Bahama islands also for the same purpose. On his return he published his work, 

 in 2 volumes, large folio, having etched the plates with his own hand. The dale of the first volume 

 of this work is 1731, of the second 1743, &c. The work was however tirst published in numbers. 

 The whole bears the title of T/ie Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands. It 

 contains in all 220 plates, which, though not conducted according to the rules of modern accuracy or 

 elegance, are yet, in many instances, both splendid and beautiful. They consist of plants, birds, 

 fishes, and a few insects. At the time of its publication it was considered as the most splendid work 

 which England had ever produced. 



The author was elected a fellow of the Royal Society, and continued in habits of friendly acquaint- 

 ance with many of the most respectable members of that body; being greatly esteemed for his mo- 

 desty, ingenuity, and good behaviour. Before his death he removed from Hoxton, where he 

 usually resided, to Fulham, and afterwards to London, and died at his house in Okl-sUeet, Dec. 23, 

 1749, aged 70. 



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