i8z NATURAL HISTORY of N RW A T. 



which he imagines proceed from the great numbers of Manseteii 

 that are found in the falt-water lake, called Mortaigne. See his 

 Mund. Subterran. P. ii. p. 129. A friend of mine has obferv'd^ 

 that when thefe Manseten lie dead, and putrify upon the fhore, 

 they have caufed a violent fneezing in thofe who pafs'd by : and 

 he fays, he knew a country lad that had like to have been 

 blinded, and actually had his face much inflamed, by his father's 

 throwing one of the red fort at him inadvertently, when he 

 was in a paffion. They are reckoned moil pernicious if they 

 happen to touch the eyes ; and I am informed that the peafants 

 in fome places prepare a kind of poifon from them, to kill ver- 

 min, and attempt to deflroy the wolf with it. Some mix it with 

 clay or mortar, and flop crevices in places where there are bugs ; 

 and they fay it effectually deflroys them, efpecially if the Mansete 

 be catch'd in the dog-days, for then its poifon is mofl efficacious. 

 Perie-baand. The Perle-baand, that is, the String of Pearls, called alfo here 

 the Sildse Raeg, and Torske Raeg, is compofed of feveral fmall 

 balls, like peas, hanging together. Thefe are feen fwimming 

 about the fea like a row of pearls on a firing. They are compos'd 

 of a foft flimy matter, like the Sea- nettle, or Mansete., and are 

 probably of the fame nature *. They are indeed tranfparent^ 

 like fo many chryflal beads, with a little mixture of red. This 

 Perle-baand is always a welcome guefl to the fifhermen ; for if 

 they fee many of them in the Autumn, or towards Chriftmas, they 

 are fuppofed to prognoflicate great plenty of Herrings and Cod 

 in the fucceeding feafon. 



* Nous avons compare plus d'une fois ]es animaux avec les plantes. Monf. Charles 

 Bonnet a faifx cette idee avant nous. II a perfe&ionne la brillante pemee d'une echelle 

 des eftres que Monf. Valifnieri avoit ebauchee. Tout fe fuit dans la nature. Elle a 

 ffu Her les efpeces fans les coniondfe. L'homme eft le chef de la creation terreftre, 

 les quadrupedes, les oifeaux, les infe&es s'en eloignfnent peu a peu, les Zoophytes finif- 

 fent le fyfteme des animaux, & les plantes fenfitives vont commencer celuy des vege- 

 taux. Les Lithopytes terminent celui-cy & les joignent aux metaux d'une figure de- 

 terminee. La terre finit encore ce regne, & les elemens ramenent fucceffivement la 

 creation a 1'iEther & a des matieres fubtiles, analogues peut etre aux corps des intelli- 

 gences fuperieures. Bibliotheque Raifonnee, Tom, xxxyi. p, 192, 



CHAP- 



