Natural Hiftory of 
According to this Method, it might be expected that Corals 4 
fhould be ranged and defcribed firft: But of thele we have» 2 
fo few on the Coafts of England and Ireland, and the Vex-— ie 
ture of them fo complex, that what I fhall have to fay con- ~ ‘i 
cerning them will be better underftood, after the more fimple 
’ 
ProduG@ions have been defcribed. : 
I {hall therefore firft proceed to the Corallines, by which may — a 
_be underftood thofe fubmarine plant-like Bodies, that confift 4 
of many flender, finely divided, and jointed Branches, refem- 
bling fome Species of Mofs, and under which Appellation — 7 
they have been defcribed by the Botanifts. a 
Thefe differ from Sea-Plants in Texture, as well as Hard- 
nefs, and likewife in their chymical Productions. For Sea= 
ips Plants, properly fo called, fuch as the W/ge, Fuci, &c. afford — 
in Diftillation little or no Traces of a volatile Salt: Whereas 
all the Corallines afford a confiderable Quantity; and in 4 
burning yield a Smell fomewhat refembling thatof burntHorn, 
and other animal Subftances: .Which of itfelf is a Proof that _ 
this Clafs of Bodies, tho’ it has the vegetable Form, yet is 
. not intirely of a vegetable Nature. 
In treating of thefe Corallines, in order to preferve ‘eee 4 
Kind of Method, we fhall divide them into the Veficulated, 
the Tubular, the Celliferous, and the Articulated Kinds. 
All thefe are ranked by Linneus under the Title of Ser- 4 
tularia, in his Clafles of the coral-like Bodies. Bags 
Before we proceed, it is neceflary to obferve, that the De- 
{criptions here given are, for the moft part, taken from Co- 
rallines which have been brought from a confiderable Dit 
ftance; tho’ no Pains have been {pared to procure them as 
: recent 
* 
; Sos 
