( ^^59 ) 
This Obferver^ having eogaged the ingcoious Mooficur 
Guifony to impart to him his thoughts coneeroing that famous 
Q^cOiiou.Whether Coral be a Vegetable received for anfwer^^ 
That 'tis fo far from being a Plant, that 'tis a meer Mineral, 
coropofed of much Salt and a little Earth, and that 'tis form'd 
into that fubftauce by a precipitation of divers Salts, that en- 
fues upon the encounter of the Ear^h with thofe Salts 5 after 
the manner of (he known MetalHqae Tree, which in a very 
little time is form'd and increafed by the fetling and combioa- 
tioa of Mercury and Silver, di0blv'din Jquafmis^md after* 
wards call: into common water 5 the parts of this Mineral and 
Metal joining themfelves to one another. Which thing alio 
happens in fome fubterraneoiis Grotto's^where by a continual 
and long fall of water-drops many forts of figures^and, a- 
mongftthemj ftiapes of little trees are formed. Thisfenti- 
ment he confirms by alledging,that he can (hew a Salt of Co? 
ral,which,being caft into water^and rherediflblvfd, upon the 
evaporation of that water by a gentle heat is prefenrly coa- 
gulated, and converted into ftore of fmall fticksj rcfembling 
a Jittle forreft* 
2* A certain ftony fubftance, that is fifSle, and hath the 
fcQ.ntoi bitumen^ complicated and laid together membran" 
likcg and found in the Hyblean mornxzim of Sicily, near Mi- 
lelli^ neighbouriogupon the town o( Augnfia^ and the ancient 
Mrgara^ Being burnt in a Candle, the bituminous fmell will 
foon be perceived s and 'tis affirm^d^that this ftony body^ be- 
ing recently fever 'd from its mine and bed, is flexible like pa- 
per 5 but being long cxpofcd to the Air and SuDj becomes 
frangible. And the herbs^ that grow on this ftone,do infinu- 
ate their fibers and roots between the feveral coats of the 
fame- It may deferve ^o have its ufes examioedj there be- 
ing found whole hillocks cover'd with it. 
3, A not QtAimr-^' fdngui-fuga or Leech, found flicking fafl 
in the fifli called Xiphias or Sword-fifhsflightly meotion'd by 
Gefner'm his book de Jqnatilibm^ and "johnflou in his book df 
Tifiibm, Our Prefenter gives it the name of H/W(?^or Acm 
Cauda utri^que pnnatk, becaufe of its working it felfinto the 
flefli.and fucking the blood of the faid Fifli.He defcnbes k to • 
be of about four inches long ^ the belly of it white^cartilagi-' 
