C 5 R6 j 
tions, which have been made by Dr. Donati. He has 
colledled them into a much more coniiderable work, 
in which he had already made a great progrefs. The 
fubjedt is very extenfive, and one of the mod; curious ; 
and certainly requires, in order to its being treated of 
in a proper manner, all the genius, patience, and re- 
folution, which didinguifh Dr. Donati to fo much 
advantage among the naturalifts. 
The fea contains a prodigious number of organized 
bodies, very difficult to be oblerved on account of 
their lituation ; extremely different, in many refpedts, 
from the plants and animals of the earth ; and which, 
for that reafon, mud; neceffarily difeover to us new 
laws in nature. 
Dr. Donati has not confined himfelf to thefe ob- 
jects, tho’ fo numerous and fo interefting. The ob- 
lervations, which he has made upon a great number 
of marine foffiis found in the earth, and upon the 
feveral foils, in which they are difeovered, have led 
him to think, that there mud be fome affinity and 
refemblance between thofe parts of the earth, which 
are actually covered by the waters of the fea, and 
thofe, which are not fo. This idea, as is eafily ima- 
gined, has op>ened a vad: field to his refearches. He 
was engaged by it to examine carefully the various 
foils of the countries, which furround the Adriatic 
fea, and to endeavour to difeover the different fodils 
contained in them. But, what is a dill more difficult 
and newer talk, he was induced to try to make him- 
felf maffer of the nature of the foils and the fodils at 
the bottom of the fea, in order to be able to compare 
the one with the other. 
4 
Dr. 
