my breath
without taking in water at my mouth; but I am very apt to think, that were
there a contrivance whereby the expir'd air might be forc'd to pass through
a wet or oyly Sponge before it were again inspir'd, it might much cleanse,
and strain away from the Air divers fuliginous and other noisome steams,
and the dipping of it in certain liquors might, perhaps, so renew that
property in the Air which it loses in the Lungs, by being breath'd, that
one square foot of Air might last a man for respiration much longer,
perhaps, then ten will now serve him of common Air.

* * * * *

Observ. XXIII. _Of the curious texture of _Sea-weeds_._

For curiosity and beauty, I have not among all the Plants or Vegetables I
have yet observ'd, seen any one comparable to this Sea-weed I have here
describ'd, of which I am able to say very little more then what is
represented by the second _Figure_ of the ninth _Scheme_: Namely, that it
is a Plant which grows upon the Rocks under the water, and increases and
spreads it self into a great tuft, which is not onely handsomely branch'd
into several leaves, but the whole surface of the Plant is cover'd over
with a most curious kind of carv'd work, which consists of a texture much
resembling a Honey-comb; for the whole surface on both sides is cover'd
over with a multitude of very small holes, being no bigger then so many
holes made with the point of a small Pinn, and rang'd in the neatest and
most delicate order imaginable, they being plac'd in the manner of a
_Quincunx_, or very much like the rows of the eyes of a Fly, the rows or
orders being very regular, which way soever they are observ'd: what the
texture was, as it appear'd through a pretty bigg Magnifying _Microscope_,
I have here adjoin'd in the first _Figure_ of the 14. _Scheme._ which round
Area ABCD represents a part of the surface about one eighth part of an Inch
in Diameter: Those little holes, which to the eye look'd round, like so
many little spots, here appear'd very regularly shap'd holes, representing
almost the shape of the sole of a round toed shoe, the hinder part of
which, is, as it were, trod on or cover'd by the toe of that next below it;
these holes seem'd wall'd about with a very thin and transparent substance,
looking of a pale straw-colour; from the edge of which, against the middle
of each hole, were sprouted out four small transparent straw-colour'd
Thorns, which seem'd to protect an