[ 54 ] 
fjbrtance I pro/e(5) to be the common Conferva; 
but as the plant, by miflake, was not kept long 
enough in maceration, the parenchymous matter, 
which ought to have been feparated from it, is in 
part ftill remaining, and gives the paper a greenifli 
colour, befides making it very brittle. 
Thirdly, A fpecimen of a much better and ftronger 
paper made of the fame Conferva, by Sir Alexan- 
der Dick, baronet, near Edinburgh; and I remember 
feeing others of the fame fort, but of inferior qua- 
lity, made by Monf. Guettardy of Paris ; an ac- 
count of which has been already printed (6). 
Fourthly, A fpecimen of another artificial paper, 
which I made of the Genifta yuncea macerated in 
warm water, and prepared afterwards in the common 
manner. I do not recolledt, that this fubftance was 
ever tried before ; neither is the Genifta yuncea in- 
ferred in the lift of filamentous plants publifhed by 
De la Lande {j'). This anecdote, though 
Vitruvius (8) recommended it for fimilar ufes fo many 
centuries ago, was new to Monfieur De la Lande, 
when I had the opportunity of communicating it to 
him at Paris on my return from Italy in 1764. 
Thefe matters are, I confefs, of more fpeculation 
and curiofity than ufe ; but as they have, given occa- 
lion, in the courfe of my inquiry, to fome phyfical 
and botanical remarks, I thought they might not 
prove wholly unacceptable to the learned members 
of the Royal Society ; and ftiould think m)?felfvery 
happy, if other gentlemen, of greater knowledge 
( 5) See the Table of References to the Figures. 
(6) Journ. (Eeon. Avril, 1761. (7) Art de faire du Papier. 
(S) Archit. lib. VII. cap. iii. 
and 
