[ 4&7 ] 
Thefe animals are nourifh’d without changing 
their place, like American oyfters, which fatten ' 
themfelves to the roots of the mangles', or like what 
lias been heretofore call’d concha an at if era, which 
fattens itfelf to old planks. Nature has furnifh’d 
thefe polypes with claws, which they occafiorially 
protrude from their cells, and feize their prey, as it 
pattes by them ; and thus they are nourittied, and 
increafe, according to their particular mechanifm 
and conttruCtion. 
There are fome fpecies of the polype of the ma- 
drepora, which are produced fingly, others in cluT 
ters. The firft of thefe kinds may arife from the pa- 
rent animal furnittiing but one egg at a time : other 
fpecies depofit a number of thefe eggs at the fame 
time, which coming to life all together are joined in 
fuch a manner, that thev feem to conftitute one and 
the fame body. 
The millepora's grow one upon another ; their lit- 
tle animals produce their fpawn, which attaching 
itfelf either to the' extremity of the body already 
formed, or underneath it, gives a different form to 
this production. Hence the various fliapes of the 
millepora, which is compofed of an infinite num- 
ber of the cells of thefe little infeCts, which all to- 
gether exhibit different figures, notwithttanding that 
every particular cellule has its elfential form, and 
the fame dimenfions, according to its own fpecies. 
I have thus endeavour'd, in as concife a manner 
as I was able, to communicate fome account of the 
labours of the very ingenious author of the work be- 
fore us. The time allow’d by the Society for thefe 
extrads does not permit me to give any idea of his 
N n n 2 arrangement 
