[ 359 ] 
when Teen at a diftance, feemed as though they were 
covered with fand. This matter had a fmooth ap- 
pearance outwards, but within was like a fheep’s-fkin. 
Downwards next the ground it had a fort of wool ; 
and when the whole was wafhed with foap, it whiten- 
ed, and appeared like a clean fleece of white wool. 
Of this fubftance the country-people foon made wicks 
for their lamps, as feveral lined their cloaths with it, 
as they would with furs. 
It was further obferved, that where this fubflance 
was mowed off from the meadows, the grafs under 
it was quickly dried up ; but, where it was not re- 
moved, the grafs in the following December was as 
green and frefh as in the fpring. Thus far Mr. 
Bofe. 
Obfervations. 
The vegetable fubftance, which, upon the fpeci- 
men fent over by the profeffor to our truly Noble 
and Learned Prefident, he has intituled “ a fort, 
“ perhaps, of Alcyonium moile” is a fpecies of that 
genus of plants, which the more modern botaniffs 
call byJJ'us. And it is of that fpecies, or a very flight 
variety therefrom, which is called, by the juftly ce- 
lebrated Dillenius *, in his Hifloria MuJ corum, By/'- 
Jus tencrrima viridis velutum ref evens. It is alfo 
mentioned and figured by Mlcheli -j- in his Nova 
Plantarum Genera , under the title of Byffus ter - 
rcjlris viridis herbacea et moilifjima , jilamentis ra- 
mofis et non ramojis. This genus of plants, in the 
order of nature, comes between the moffes and 
fungi. 
* Hi ft or. Mufcor. p. 7. 
f Micbelii Nov, Plant, Genera , p. 211. Tab, LXXXIX, Fig. 5. 
