t 461 ] 
Our author has given us, when treating of coral, 
feveral cbfervations of other perfons relating thereto ; 
but he finds none relating to the madrepora, and the 
other fea productions. But the knowledge, which he 
had acquired into the nature of coral, conducted him 
to the difcovery, which he made, of the animals, that 
form the madrepora. 
As this fyflem is new, he thinks it neceffary to 
give his obfervations, as they enabled him to form, 
it. He defines the madrepora’s to be all thofe marine 
bodies, which are of a ftony fubftance,- without either 
bark or cruft, and which have but one apparent 
opening at each extremity, furnifh’d with rays, 
which proceed from the centre to the circumference. 
He then takes notice of the means, by which he found 
the madrepora to be the habitation of animals. So 
early as the year 1719, when his curiofity carried 
him to the coral-hiking on the coafl of Provence ; 
and though intent only upon coral, and neglecting 
to examine any other marine production, he never- 
thelefs obferv’d, that the extremities of the madre- 
pora were foft, and cover’d with a mucofity, which 
had a fifhy fmell. From thence he fufpeCted, that 
therein was contain’d feme kind of animal , but his 
curiofity flopp’d here. Afterwards, being upon the 
coafts of Barbary, the hfhermen brought him in a 
barrel of fea- water one of thofe madrepora’s, which 
are call’d in Provence, ftnouille de mer , or fea-fennel. 
It had been put into the barrel as foon as it was 
taken out of the fea ; and he obferv’d, that the ex- 
tremities of this madrepora were foft and tender, 
furnifh’d with a tranfparent mucofity, like that of 
fnails : 
