be 
The Natural Hifory of the Book WHF, 
of having any Wool upon them ; the Skins of which, being then delicately 
foft, thefe cunning Dealers fubftitute in the room of, and call them, the 
Skins of this fappofed Scythian Lamb. 
But, to return to my Subje& ; to prove that mott of, if not all, the pre- 
tended Qualities attributed to this Lamb, how fpecioufly foever they are 
applied toit, asa ftrange Mixture of areal animal Exiftence, and vege- 
table Appearance, are really and truly the infeparable Properties of this, 
as well as many other parafitical Plants. However it muft be owned, that 
this is the moft furprifing of any of this Clafs, and is ds rare as it is curidus, 
As to the Proof of its fuppofed animal Life from its dying, as they term 
it, if the adjacent Vegetables are taken away; this is literally true of its 
Decay asa Vegetable, as- all other parafitical. Plants will do, when deprived 
of that foftering Nourifhment, which they draw from the ‘Trees they prey 
upon. For Inftance, if a Branch of an Oak, which hath the Mifletoe 
growing upon it, decays, the latter, which before lived and flourifhed by 
the Juices it received from the Oak, muft, when this becomes dry and 
arid, decay likewife with the decaying Branch, Fn the fame manner, if 
the Tree, of even the Branch of it, from which the Agnus Scyrhieus 
receives its Nourifhment, is cut down, it muft alfo perith with if. 
The Body of this Plant is about the Thicknefs of one’s Finger, anid 
many Feet in Length; the Infide of a white’ clofe Subflance, fornéwhat 
juicy, and eafily cut thro’ with a Knife. The outfide Rind is tough, and 
deeply covered with a fine filky Down, fomewhat refembling Wool; and 
~ the Body of the Plant is here-and-there irregularly geniculated, having, — 
among fo many Bendings, fome, which diftantly refemble, in Make and 
Bignefs, the Legs of a young Lamb; efpecially as it is covered over with a fine 
filky Down, or Hair, fomewhat curled. This accidental Likenefs of Shape 
and Covering it was, that gave Rife to the Notion of its being a Lamb; 
and lucrative Reafons may have help’d to keep it up. The Body of this 
Plant wreaths itfelf in feveral loofe irregular Foldings about the Body of a 
Tree, and with its feveral flender ligneous Roots penetrates thro’ the Bark, 
and from thence fucks thofe Juices, which ought to nourifh the Tree. 
From the Extremity of the Stalk rifes a Footftalk of about twenty Inches 
long, fupporting a fingle cylindrical Leaf, very near of the fame Length. 
The Back of the Leaf, on each fide the middle Rib, is flightly and regularly 
pitted into a great Number of depreffled Spots: In thefe are feen a great 
many very {mall yellow Seeds, which, when ripe, are carried off by the 
Wind ; and if they fall uponany neighbouring Tree, as fome, among fuch 
a Number, unavoidably muft, they then, efpecially if the Bark of it proves 
fulcated, take Root, and are thus propagated. 
The 
