A Description of a Curious Sea-Plant; Frutex Marinus Flabelliformis Cortice Verrucoso Obductus. Doodii. Raii Hist. Tom. III. p. 7. et Synops. Edit. 3. p. 32. Coralloides Granulosa Alba. J. B. Tom. III. Pag. 809. Erica Marina Alba Frutescens. Mus. Pet. 50. Keratophyton Flabelliforme, Cortice Verrucoso Obductum. Raii Syn. Edit. 3 p. 32. By Sir Hans Sloane, Bart. M. D. Late President of the Royal Society, and of the College of Physicians, London, &c

IX. A Description of a curious Sea-Plant; Frutex marinus Flabelliformis cortice verrucoso obductus. Doodii. Raii Hist. Tom. III. p. 7. et Synopsis Edit. 3. p. 32. Coralloides granulosa alba. J. B. Tom. III. pag. 809. Erica marina alba frutescens. Mus. Pet. 50. Keratophyton Flabelliforme, cortice verrucoso obductum. Raii Syn. Edit. 3 p. 32. By Sir Hans Sloane, Bart. M.D. late President of the Royal Society, and of the College of Physicians, London, &c. Read Feb. 6. 1745-6. King Charles the Second, who was a very curious and great Observer of Natural Productions of all Kinds, the Founder and Patron of the Royal Society, and great Encourager of several Members thereof, had got, in his Closet at Whitehall, this Coralline (as I call it); which, I suppose, had been presented to him by some of his Sea-Officers, appointed to cruise in the Soundings, lying off the West of England, towards the Atlantic Ocean. I have had it from thence intire, and in Perfection, from some of the late Commanders on that Station (of which I here give an intire Figure when young, Tab. II. Fig. 1.), who, by their founding Lines, brought it up from the Rocks at the Bottom of the Sea; and which being a very curious Coralline, I wonder it has been so little taken notice of. It rises to four Feet high, from a woody Basis, near an Inch Diameter, giving it a firm Foundation on the Rocks in the Bottom of the Sea, spreading out its Branches like a Fan, the Substance or inner Part of which is woody, of a light brown, or blackish Colour (as at \(a\), \(b\), Fig. 1.), covered all over with a thin tuberculated Crust, of an Ash-colour, or sometimes yellowish, seldom joined together, as the *Rete Marinum*, but loose, and distorted; and not strait, as most of this kind. I have had it from *Tangier*, *Antigua*, and *Newfoundland*; from which last Place, one with the *Stella arborescens* Rondeletii, p. 121. (mentioned by Mr. Winthorp, in these *Transactions*, No. 57. p. 1152.) having its Branches fastened several times round those of this Coralline; a Branch of which is here figured, with the Animal sticking to it, at Fig. 2. in which \(a\) is the Mouth, and Fig. 3. represents the back Part of it, having a Crack in it by some Accident. The finest of this Kind was given me by her late Grace Mary Duchess of *Beaufort*; who told me, she had it presented to her by the late Colonel *Codrington*, Proprietor of the Island of *Barbuda*; from whence in all Likelihood he had it. I do not pretend to give a new Name to this Coralline, to make Confusion; but only mention such Authors, as have already taken notice of it; of whom *John Bauhin* is the first that describes it plainly, both by Words, and an imperfect Figure of a Small Piece or Branch, which he had communicated to him by a Person whom he does not name, by reason (as I suppose) he had by Stealth broke it off a large Branch, kept in what he calls *Theatrum Naturalium Serenissima Reginae Angliae*; whom I suppose to be Queen Queen Elizabeth; and which, to my Knowledge, is too much practised since by unworthy Persons. It is likely, that many of the coralline Substances mention'd by Authors, may be this, or Parts of it, the Crust being rubb'd off more or less, and its Colour changed, and thereby described for different Corallines. X. Extracts of Two Letters from the Reverend Henry Miles, D.D. & F.R.S. to Mr. Henry Baker, F.R.S. containing several Electrical Experiments. I. Dear Sir, Read Feb. 13. I AM under no Doubt, but that Experiments with Sulphur are capable of being improv'd, and hope shortly to make is appear. I am loth to venture my glass Tubes of Flint for a Mould, but intend to procure one of common Glass; having lately had the Misfortune of losing my best, in so odd a Manner, that I believe you will excuse me if I trouble you with the Account. I had been using it but a little Time in the Evening; and, before I laid it up, having by me a round Ruler small enough to go into the Bore, when it was cover'd with a Roll or two of brown Paper, it came into my Head to excite it, by rubbing it a little on the Inside with the said Ruler and Paper; but not finding any Effect of it, after a few Minutes Trial, not so much as to attract the smallest Thread, I laid it in my Window in my Study on a Parcel of Papers