OF SUMATRA. J 



a milky appearance, in some degree acrid. The 

 bark covers every part of the tree, and contains a 

 number of perforated papilla? terminating in tubes, 

 having two or more holes in each, intended, I ima^ 

 gine, for the admission of the matter affording nutri- 

 ment to the plant. The internal projections of the 

 papilLv adhere to the particles of sand and stone on 

 which the coral grows, and are the only appearance 

 of roots it exhibits. On examining!; the internal ex- 

 tremities of these papilhe by means of glasses, some 

 very fmall ramifications are discovered. These are 

 very easily observed in the pap/lLe, which are attach- 

 ed to the bark of the root. The tree is said to grow 

 to the height of two feet: I have seen some as high as 

 ten feet. From these and other differences in appear- 

 ance, I am apt to think that some European and In- 

 dian corals are not the same, but species of the same 

 genus. From the very rapid growth of coral on the 

 west coast of Sumatra, and in the Eastern seas in ge- 

 neral, as will be shown in this paper, there can 

 subsist but little doubt that it is a vegetable sub- 

 stance; though there have not been wanting some, 

 who have supposed it a fossil formed like crystals and 

 spars; and others, eminent naturalists, who have 

 ranked it among the animal tribes. Boccone disco- 

 vered that this plant encloses a nutritious juice under 

 its bark: and Count Marsigli remarked and obser- 

 ved its flowers and seeds. I shall here insert Mar- 

 sigli's accurate experiment, which affords the deci- 

 sion of almost absolute demonstration in favour of coral 

 being a vegetating plant. " Having steeped some 



B 4 corah 



