VOL. L.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. lOQ 



how high the water must have risen formerly above its present mark to produce 

 the effect ascribed to it on this hypothesis. But, however that may be, the 

 nature of the situation of this place being considered, the innovation supposed 

 to have happened in it will not be thought improbable ; especially in a country 

 so plentifully stored with combustible matter in its interior parts, and conse- 

 quently so liable to changes in its outward form as this is, and has been for 

 many ages. For an extraordinary instance of this, we need go but a little way 

 from this place, viz. to II Monte Nuovo, a hill about 4 miles in compass, which 

 in 1538 was cast up in one night's time by an eruption, by which the greatest 

 part of the Lucrine lake was filled up, and the town of Tripergola, with a church, 

 convent, hospital, and other buildings, entirely buried. 



XXIJ. A Parthian Coin with a Greek and Parthian Legend, never before pub- 

 lished. By the Rev. J. Swinton, M. A. of Chris tchurchj Oxon, F. R.S. p. 175. 



This medal is in very good conservation, and approaches near the size of those 

 of the middle Roman brass. It exhibits the head, or effigies, of a Parthian king, 

 with a beard, diadem, and hair formed into such curls as was never yet ob- 

 served on any ancient coins. Under the effigies, the Greek letters BACIA€u>N 

 M€rAC MO-; ::'::•.:::::, which demonstrate the piece to be Parthian, appear; and, 

 on the reverse, a victory, done something after the Roman manner, though the 

 workmanship is pretty rude, presents itself to our view, together with a legend 

 in a language and character at this time unknown. The legend consists of 10 

 complete elements, or letters, placed behind the victory above-mentioned; be- 

 sides which, there is one in the field of the medal, being probably the initial 

 letter of the name of the city where the coin was struck. The metal, though 

 here termed brass, discovers something of a composition similar to that of the 

 Duke of Devonshire's medal of Vologeses III, as described by Sig. Haym. Of 

 this coin a draught is accurately shown, fig. 2, pi. 4. 



Mr. S. has no doubt but this medal or coin was struck when Monneses filled 

 the Parthian throne ; and that the inscriptions on the two sides of the piece are 

 of similar import, the one in Parthian Greek, and the other in Palmyrene cha- 

 racters, and importing as much as " Monneses the great king of kings." Also 

 that it was probably struck in the 425th or 428th year of the Parthian era, that 

 is, the 197th of Christ. 



XXI II. Of a Red Coral* from the East Indies, of a very singular Kind : in a 

 Letter from Mr. John Ellis, F. R. S. p. 188. 



This piece, fig. 3, pi. 4, is of a very singular kind. The stem and branches 

 • The coral here described is the isis ochracea of Linneas. 



