vi A D V E R T I S E M E N T. 



vince of Weft Florida ; and agent for the ifland of Dominica ; and in 

 correfpondence and intimacy with the learned Dr. Linnaus r and the 

 moft celebrated natural hiftorians of the age ; he was enabled to 

 eollecl: information from the moft diftant countries, which he purfued 

 with unremitting ardour ; and with the affiftance of his ineftimable- 

 friends, Dr. Fotherglll and -Dr. Solander, he intended to have laid be- 

 fore the public, a complete hiftory of Zoophytes. In this, however, he 

 was unfortunately difappointed ; his declining health preventing him 

 from proceeding farther than the completion of thefe plates, which 

 were all engraven under his immediate inspection, fome at his own 

 expence, and more by the munificence of the late Dr. Fothergill,, 

 whofe love of fcience and ample fortune induced him to promote the 

 laudable defigns of many, whom a more limited lit uation retrained 

 from carrying their purfuits to the extent of their wifhes. 



For the arrangement of the defcriptions we are indebted to Dr. 

 Solander ; whofe premature death prevented this and other valuable 

 works from appearing in fo complete a manner as they would other- 

 wife have done : fince it muft, be univerfally allowed that the world 

 fufFered in Dr. Solander, the lofs of one of the greatest Natural Hif~ 

 • torians ever known ; while his more intimate friends deplore that of 

 an invaluable member of fociety. 



Thefe are the circumflances under which the following meets are 

 now pubiifhed, at the requefl; of Sir Jofeph Banks, Bart. P. R. S. who 

 has thought the work not unworthy of his attention, and permitted 

 it to be dedicated to him ;: and it is prefumed, that, even in itsprefent 

 flate, it will meet with a favourable reception, iince it throws many 

 new lights upon a fubject hitherto but. ilightly inveftigated. 



Mr. Ellis's fondnefs for Natural Hiflory was not confined to any 

 particular branch. Botany was like wife to him a fource of in- 

 finite amufement ; which he endeavoured to render ufeful to fo- 

 ciety in general, but more particularly to the Weft India iflands 

 and America. The hiftorical account of Coffee, publifhei by him 

 in 1774, was defigned to encourage the confumption of that article, 



raifed'. 



