An Account of Several Bones of an Elephant Found at Leysdown in the Island of Sheppey. In Two Letters from Mr. Jacob, Surgeon at Feversham, to James Parsons, M. D. F. R. S. Dated May 24, 1754

LXXXIII. An Account of several Bones of an Elephant found at Leysdown in the Island of Sheppey. In two Letters from Mr. Jacob, Surgeon at Feversham, to James Parsons, M.D. F.R.S. dated May 24, 1754. SIR, Read June 13, 1754. THREE or four years ago I sent you the acetabulum of an elephant, which was discover'd sticking in the clay, which was partly wash'd away from the cliff, at a place call'd Leysdown, in the isle of Sheppey, a full mile eastward of the cliffs of Minster. This, with other parts, as one of the spinal vertebrae, a thigh-bone four feet long, and numberless other fragments too rotten to be then taken up intire, I saw; all which lay below high-water mark: And as the place, and some adjacent land, soon after, became my property by a purchase I made; I went, attended by workmen, in search of more, and found an elephant's tusk; and, as it lay intire to appearance, took its dimensions; which were, in length, eight feet; and in circumference, in the middle, twelve inches: But it fell all to pieces, when we endeavoured to raise it. I found, also, part of a scapula, its finus almost intire, and three inches diameter. I have since found some pieces of grinders, and, by care, hope for more; and have now a larger one, from another part of this island. The pyrites, however, abounds so much in the clay wherein this this animal was embedded, that I despair of finding any whole bones: But I think these fragments are sufficient to shew, that the elephant was as large as that mention'd by Fentzelius, in these Transactions. The apex of the tusk, which I preserv'd, and the acetabulum before you, were both found within twenty feet of the other bones mention'd, and are, as I apprehend, in better condition than they are, from their being taken up immediately upon being discover'd, and not left to be expos'd to the injury of the weather, and violence of the tides; which soon affects bodies so expos'd, after having lain under ground for ages. LXXXIV. A Letter from Mr. John Ellis, F. R. S. to Mr. Peter Collinson, F. R. S. concerning the animal Life of those Corallines, that look like minute Trees, and grow upon Oysters and Fucus's all round the Sea-coast of this Kingdom. SIR, Read June 13, 1754. THE doubts, that I find still remain on the minds of many curious and learned men of the animal nature of corallines, on account of their beautiful ramifications, and regular plant-like appearances, determin'd me to persuade our ingenious friend, Mr. Ehret, to accompany me to the sea-side, that he might there be an eye-witness of what I had advanced to you, and many other