ments of animals, putrid vegetables, oily, bituminous, and fulphureous particles, wafhed from the earth by the fhowers. They cut the tender fibres or fingers which the fish ftretches out, miftaking them for wholesome food. The wounded parts fefter, and poifon the whole body. It is an obfervation made here, and confirmed by long experience, that all the teftaceous tribe is fuller, fatter, and more delicate, during the new and full moon, than in the first and last quarters. The difference is accounted for by the tides and currents, which fet in stronger in the new and full moon, and bring with them large quantities of bruifed fifhes, infects, fruits, and other fattening nurture. I was affured that nothing caufes fifh to fpoil fooner than leaving them expofed to the beams of the moon; and that all prudent fishermen, when out by night, cover what they catch with an awning. If they meet with any dead fish on the strand, or in the market, they can always difcern, by its colour and flabbinefs, if it be allunato, moonftruck; and, except in cafes of great neceffity, abstain from it as unwholefome. Not having an opportunity of verifying this affertion, I give it as doubtful; for I know the Italians are apt to attribute to the baneful influence of the moon many strange effects,

which philofophers of other nations do not afcribe to it. No Italian will lie down to fleep where moonshine can reach him.

The Cozze Pelofe, or velvet mufcle, is first dragged for in the Great Sea, and then fcattered to breed on fciaie, or heaps of ftones funk by the fishermen at every head-land of the Mare Piccolo.

Under the Piano, or eastern fhore, are the oyster-beds: no coaft affords a more exquifite fort. In winter, large hampers of them are fent over-land to Naples. The feafon is confined by law to a term between the 25th of November and Eafter Sunday.

Brundufium was the great fupplier of oysters for the Roman tables. From that port, the spawn was carried to stock their public refervoirs at the Lucrene Lake, near Baiæ; and no mention is made by the antients of the excellence of any Tarantine fhell-fish, except the fcallop*. It is, therefore not unlikely that oyfter fpawn has been brought to Taranto from Brindifi, and better preferved thạn at the original bed, where the obftructions in the mouth of the harbour have ruined all the fisheriest.

The papyraceous Nautilus is fometimes, but very rarely, feen fpreading the wonderful mechanifm of its fail and oars in the smooth bays of the Mare Grande; and fometimes fishermen furprife trumpetfhells of a prodigious bulk afleep, floating

HOR. Sat.

G4

thofe

The places are kept a profound fecret. Marks are fet up on land, by which the Tarantines fleer their courfe, and fink their hooks and crofs-beams exactly in the middle of a coral bed, while ftrangers muft row about a whole day dragging, without a guide, or certainty of bringing up a fingle twig. There was, a few years ago, fuch abundance of coral near thete thores, that a boat's crew was once known to draw up in one day as much as fold for five hundred ducats (937. 15.) Large pieces may be had for about five ducats per rotolo, which at Taranto contains only thirteen ounces.

Under Cape St. Vito, once famous for an abbey of Bafilian monks, and in most parts of the Mare Grande, the rocks are ftudded with the Pinna Marina. This bivalved fhell of the mufcle tribe frequently exceeds two feet in length. It faflens itfelf to the ftones by its hinge, and throws out a large tuft of filky threads, which float and play about to allure fmall fish; amidst thefe filaments is generally found, befides other infects, a fmall fhrimp, called by the antients, Cancer Pinnotheres; by the modern Tarantines, Caurella. This little cruftaceous animal was imagined to be generated with the Pinna, and appointed by nature to act as a watchman, in apprizing it of the approach of prey or enemies; and that, upon the least alarm, this guard flipt down into the thell, which was inftantly closed: but more accurate obfervers have dif covered, that the poor fhrimp is no more than a prey itself, and by no means a centinel for the muscle, which in its turn fre

quently falls a victim to the wiles of the Polypus Octopedia. In very calm weather, this rapacious pirate may be feen stealing towards, the yawning fhells with a pebble in his claws, which he darts to dexterously into the aperture, that the Pinna cannot fhut itself up clofe enough to pinch off the feelers of its antagonist, or fave its fleth from his ravenous tooth. The Pinna is torn off the rocks with hooks, and broken for the fake of its bunch of filk called Lanapenna, which is fold, in its rude state, for about fifteen carlini a pound, to women that wash it well with foap and fresh water. When it is perfectly cleansed of all its impurities, they dry it in the fhade, ftraighten it with a large comb, cut off the ufelefs root, and card the remainder; by which means they reduce a pound of coarfe filaments to about three ounces of fine thread. This they knit into fockings, gloves, caps, and waistcoats; but they commonly mix a little filk as a ftrengthener. This web is of a beau tiful yellow brown, refembling the burnished gold on the back of fome flies and beetles. I was told that the Lanapenna receives its glots from being steeped in lemonjuice, and being afterwards preffed down with a taylor's goofe.

and food. The bulk of its fore-part is almost double that of the hind part; the back of its neck raifed high, and its legs fhort and thick. It lives in bare fields, where the lands are fallow, but not very hard; and, from its antipathy to damp and fhade, choofes for its refidence the rifing part of the ground facing the caft. Its dwelling is about four inches deep, and half an inch wide; at the bottom it is curved, and there the infect fits in wet weather, and cuts its way out, if water gains upon it. It weaves a net at the mouth of the hole. Thefe fpiders do not live quite a year. In July they fhed their fkin, and proceed to propagation, which, from a mutual diftruft, as they frequently devour one ano-, ther, is a work undertaken with great circumfpection. They lay about feven hundred and thirty eggs, which are hatched in the fpring; but the parent does not live to fee her progeny, having expired early in the winter. The Ichneumon fly is their most formidable enemy.

An Account of fome Experiments on Mercury and Silver, made at Guildford, in May 1782, in the Laboratory of J. Price, M. D.

F. R. S.

Experiment I. Made May the 6th, 1782, before the Rev. Mr. Anderfon; Capt. Francis Grofe; Mr Ruffell and Mr D. Grofe, the Gentlemen mentioned in the Introduction as the moft proper Witnesses of the Process, then refident in Guildford.

H

ALF an ounce of mercury, provided by Capt. Grofe

(bought at an apothecary's of the town) was placed in a small Heffian crucible, brought by Mr. Ruffell, on a fux compofed of borax (alfo brought by him) a small piece of charcoal taken out of a fcuttle (fortuitously) by Mr. D. Grofe, and examined by the reft of the company; and a fmall piece of nitre, alfo taken out without felection, by the Rev. Mr. Anderfon, from a quantity in common ufe, in the laboratory: thefe 'being pounded together in a mortar, which all the company had previously inspected, were preffed down into the crucible with a fmall peftle: on this flux the mercury was poured by Mr Anderfon, and upon it half a grain, carefully weighed out by Mr. Ruffell, of a certain powder of a deep red colour, furnished by Dr. P. was put on it by Mr. Anderson.

The crucible was then placed in a fire of a moderate red heat, by Dr. P. who from his greater facility in managing the fire from long habit, was thought moft eligible to conduct the experiment. He repeatedly called the attention of the company to ob ferve the ftages of the procefs, and to remark in every part of it that any voluntary deception on his part was impoffible.

In about a quarter of an hour from the projection of the powder and the placing of the crucible in the fire, he obferved to the com pany, who on infpection found his obfervation true, that the mer cury, though in a red hot crucible, fhewed no figns of evaporation, or even of boiling: the fire was then gradually raifed, with attention on the part of the company, and repeated calls for that attention from Dr. P. that no un