f 454 ] 
upon detached pieces of rock, glafs bottles, broken 
pots, and other fubftances, from which the plant 
could receive no nourishment. It has been faid by 
great authority, that coral grows from the rocks per- 
pendicularly downwards; but our author has feen 
lome growing to a round flint, which muft neceflarily 
have vegetated upwards, like moft other plants. 
M. de Peyflonnel proceeds to examine, whether or 
no coral is a plant, according to the general opinion, or 
a petrification or congelation, according to fome ; and 
after have exhibiting the various arguments deliver’d 
in fupport of thefe, he concludes, that coral, as well as 
all other ftony fea-plants, and even fponges, are the 
work of different infedts, particular to each fpeciesof 
thefe marine bodies, which labour uniformly accord- 
ing to their nature, and as the Supreme Being has 
order’d and determin’d. The coral-infedt, which is 
here called a little urtica , purpura , or polype, and 
which M. Marfigli took for its flower, expands itfelf 
in water, and contracts itfelf in air, or when you 
touch it in water with your hand, or pour acid liquors 
to it. This is ufual to fifhes or infedts of the vermi- 
cular kind. 
When our author was upon the coafts of Barbary 
in 1725", he had the pleafure of feeing the coral- 
infedf move its claws or legs ; and having placed a 
vefiel of fea-water with coral therein near tlie fire, 
thefe little infedts expanded themfelves. He increafed 
the fire, and made the water boil, and by thefe 
means kept them in their expanded date out of the 
coral, as happens in boiling fhell-animals, whether 
of land or fea. Repeating his obfervations upon other 
branches, he clearly faw, that the little holes, per- 
ceptible upon the bark of the coral, were the openings 
through 
