vince of Florida ; and agent for the ifland of Dominica ; and in*
correfpondence and intimacy with the learned Dr. Linnxus, and the
moft celebrated natural hiftorians o f the a g e ; he was enabled to
colled information from the mod diftant countries,, which he purfuei-
with unremitting ardour; and with the affiftance o f his ineftimable-
friends, Dr. Fothergill and Dr. Solander, he intended to have laid her
fore the public a complete hiftoty of Zoophytes. In this, however, he
was unfortunately difappointed; his declining health preventing him
from proceeding farther than the completion o f thefe plates, which
were all engraven under his immediate infpedion, fome at his own-,
expence, and more by the munificence o f the late Dr. Fothergtll,..
whofe love o f fcience and ample fortune induced him to promote the .
laudable defigns-of many, whom a more, limited, fituation reftrained
from carrying their purfuits to the extfnt o f their wifhes.
For the arrangement T>f the deferiptions we are indebted to Dr,
Solander-, whofe premature death.prevented this and. other valuable
works from appearing in fo compléte a manner as they would.other-
wife have done r fince it muft be uuiverfally allowed that the world
fuffered in Dr . Solander, the lofs- of one o f the greateft Natural Hiftorians
ever known ; while his more intimate friends deplore that of
an invaluable member o f fociety. - . ...
Thefe are the circumftances under which the following fheets are
now publifhed, at the requeft of Sir Jofeph Banks, Bart'. P. R . S. who
has thought the work not unworthy of his attention, and permitted
it to be dedicated to h im ; and it is prefumed, that,.even m it9 prefcnt,
Pate, it will meet with a, favourable reception, fince it throws many
new’lights upon a fubjeft: hitherto but fligh ty inveftigated.
Mr. Ellis's fondnefs for Natural Hiflory was not confined to any
particular branch. Botany was likewife to him a fource o f in-
■ finite amufement; which he- endeavoured to render ufeful to fo-
cietyin general, but m o r e particularly to the Weft India iflands-
and America. T h e hiffiorical account of Coffee,, publifhed by him
in 1774, was defigned to encourage the confumption of that article,
. raifedl
raifed by the planters in the Wejl Indies: while the accounts of the
Mangojlan and Bread Fruit frees, with dire&ions for conveying feeds
and plants from the moft diftant parts o f the globe in a flate of
vegetation, were publifhed with a view to introduce thofe, and many
other plants into our own fettlements, where they might become
beneficial to the public for the purpofes o f medicine, agriculture and
■ commerce. And his adive mind was conftantly employed in deviling
means for promoting the welfare o f fociety, until the time of
his death, which happened en the 15th o f Odober, 1776.
'Ba Papers .