An Account of Two Monstrous Births, not Long since Produced in Devonshire; Communicated by M. Colepresse

whether this Creature was endow'd with a humane Soul; and if not, what became of the Soul of the Embryo, that was five months old. A little after another Monster was produced, which was an Infant come to maturity, having instead of a Head and Brains, a Mass of flesh like any Liver; and was found to move. And this Fetus occasioned a Question for the Cartesians, how the motion could be performed, and yet the Glandula pinealis, or Conarium be wanting; nor any Nerves visible, which come from the Brain? The marrow in the Spine was of the same substance. It liv'd four days, and then dyed: It was anatomized by M. Emmerez in presence of the Assembly. There came a Letter from Florence, Written by M. Steno, which has also somewhat perplexed the followers of Des Cartes. A Tortoise had its head cut off, and yet was found to move its foot three days after. Here was no Communication with the Conarium. As this seems to have given a sore blow to the Cartesian Doctrine, so the Disciples thereof are here endeavouring to heal the Wound. An Account of two Monstrous Births, not long since produced in Devonshire; communicated by M. Colepreffe. 1. One Robert Cloak a Joyner (whom I know) of Clamick, in the Parish of Beer-Ferris in Devonshire, had on Febr. 24. last, a Monstrous black Ram-Lamb fallen with one Head, but two distinct Bodies, with eight Legs; which Bodies were joyned in the Neck: It had two Eyes, and as many Ears, in the usual places; and one extraordinary Eye in the Niddock, with one single Ear, about an inch distant from the Eye backwards.: Its Dame, which was White, usually brought forth two Lambs every year, as she did this year also a White one, which with the Ewe remains alive. But whether this Monster was produc'd dead or alive, is not known, it being found dead by the hedge, and soon after put into the Earth. There were ten White Ews accompanied with three White Rams. 2. One John Cauce, Servant to Mr. William Knighton of Lockridge, likewise in Beer Ferris; had among his Sheep, on the seventeenth of Febr. last, a White Lamb fall'n on a Common in the said Parish, with two distinct heads and Necks, Joyned at the Shoulders shoulders, but one only Body, and that well form'd, yet having double entrails in all respects. The Ewe remains well. The Monster dyed; and is now in my Custody, after it hath been dried in an Oven, and by the Sun. Some Observations made in Mines, and at Sea, occasioning a Conjecture about the Origine of Wind: Imparted by the same Mr. C. One John Gill, a Man well experienced in Mineral affairs, discoursing with me about the Wind and its Origine; declared to me his thoughts concerning the same, as a result of twenty years Experience and Observations of his own. First, He affirmed, that if in digging deep under ground, the Work-men meet with Water, they never want Air or Wind; but if they miss Water (as sometimes it happens, even at 12 or 16 Fathoms depth) they are destitute of convenient Air, either to breath in, or to make their Candles burn. Next, When (as usual) there happens to be a great quantity of a Winters standing water, in a deep Mine, they commonly bring, or drive up an Adit for drawing away such water: But as soon as that part of the Level is made, that any of the standing Water begins to run away, the Men must secure themselves, as well as they can, from danger of being dash'd in pieces against the sides of the Adit: For the included Air or Wind in the Standing Water breaks forth with such a terrible noyse, as that of a Pecce of Ordnance, and with that violence, as to carry all before it, loosening the very Rocks, though at some distance in the Work or Adit. Thirdly, he hath observed on several occasions, going to and fro, between London and Plimouth, by Sea, that being in a Calm, that way, which the Sea began to Loom or move, the next day the Wind was sure to blow from that point of the Compass, towards which the Sea did Loom the day before. An Account of Hail-Stones of an unusual bigness, Communicated by D. Nath. Fairfax, with his Reflections on them. This Account came but very lately to hand, though the thing hapned a while agoe; the Ingenious Author thereof, having but newly entered into a Philosophical Correspondence with the Publisher. July, 17. 1666. About 10 in the Fore-noon, there fell a violent storm