Front Matter

The only official reprint authorized by The Royal Society of London PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS: Giving some ACCOUNT OF THE Present Undertakings, Studies and Labours OF THE INGENIOUS; In many Considerable Parts of the World. VOL. XVII. For the Year 1693. LONDON: Printed for S. Smith and B. Walford, Printers to the Royal Society, at the Prince's Arms, in St. Paul's Church-yard. 1694. To the Honourable Sir Robert Southwell, Kt. President; And to the Council and Fellows of the Royal Society of London, for the Advancement of Natural Knowledge, This Seventeenth Volume of the Philosophical Transactions Is humbly Dedicated By Richard Waller, S.R.Secr IMPRIMATUR, Vol. XVII. Philosoph. Transact. Jan. 31. 1692. Rob. Southwell, P. R. S. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. For the Month of January, 1692: The CONTENTS. 1. The Preface. 2. A Paper of the Honourable Robert Boyle, late Fellow of the Royal Society, deposited with the Secretaries of the R.S.A. containing a Method of preparing the Phosphorus of Humane Urine. 3. A Solution of the Florentine Problem touching the Figure of a Capola, whose Windows being cut out, the Remainder is Quadrable. By the Reverend John Wallis, S.T.D. 4. The Extract of two Letters from Mr. Anth. Leeuwenhoek of Delit about the Testicles of a Rat, and the Amnialcules therein contained; with some Observations of Small Animals found in Oyster- and in the Sap of Vines. 5. Some Observations in the dissection of a Rat, with a Figure of the Genital parts thereof. By Mr. Ric Waller, S.R. Secr. 5. An Estimate of the Degrees of the Mortality of Mankind drawn from curious Tables of the Births and Funerals at the City of Breslaw, with an Attempt to ascertain the Price Price of Annuities upon Lives. By Mr. Edmond Halley, R.S.S. An Account of Books. 1. THE WISDOM OF GOD manifested in the Works of the Creation: In Two Parts. The Second Edition, very much enlarged. By John Ray, S.R.S. in 8°. 1692. 2. Three Physico-Theological Discourses, concerning 1. The Primitive Chaos and Creation of the World. 2. The General Deluge, its Causes and Effects. 3. The Dissolution of the World, and future Conflagration, in 8°. 1693. Both Printed for S. Smith. 3. Leonardi Plukenetii Phytographia, sive stirpium illustriorum Icones. Pars Tertia. Lond. In Folio. 1693. Printed for the Author, and Sold by S. Smith. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. For the Month of February, 1693: The CONTENTS. 1. Some Experiments on a black shining Sand brought from Virginia, supposed to contain Iron, made by the late Dr. Allen Moulton, R.S.S. 2. A Paper of the Honourable Robert Boyle's, late Fellow of the Royal Society, being an Account of his examining Waters as to Freshness and Saltiness; together with an account of the Trials made of the same at a Meeting of the Royal Society, by Hans Sloan, M.D. and S.R.S. To which is subjoined another Method of making such Discoveries by the help of a particular kind of Water-Poile, by Robert Hooke, M.D. and R.Soc.Soc. 3. Three Queries, concerning some Shells, used in Medicine, proposed by Mr. Samuel Dale, and answered by Martyn Lister, M.D. and R.Soc.S. with a Figure of the Shell yielding the Purple of the Ancients. 4. The Abstract of a Letter from Mr. Anth. Van Leeuwenhoek, R.S.S. to the Royal Society, containing some Microscopical Observations on small Animals, breeding on the out-sides of the Teeth; and on the Scaliness of the Scarf Skin, &c. 5. An Ac- PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. For the Month of March, 1693. The CONTENTS. I. Some farther Considerations on the Breslaw Bills of Mortality, by the same Hand with the former. 196. II. What a Compleat Treatise of Navigation should contain: Drawn up in the Year 1685. by Sir William Petty, late Fellow of the R. Soc. III. A Letter from Sir Robert Redding, late S.R.S. concerning Pearl-Fishing in the North of Ireland, communicated by Dr. Lister, R.S.S. IV. An Account of two Plants lately brought from the Cape of Good Hope, communicated by Dr. Hans Sloan, R.S.S. V. The Extracts of Four Letters from Mr. John Banister to Dr. Lister, R.S.S. VI. An Account of the digging and preparing the Lapis Calaminaris, in a Letter from Mr. Giles Pooley to Sir Robert Southwell, Pres. R.S. VII. An Arithmetical Paradox concerning the Chances of Lotteries: By the Honourable Francis Roberts, Esq; S.R.S. VIII. An Account of Books. 1. Horti Indici Malabarici. Pars Quarta, Quinta & Sexta. With some Remarks upon them. By Tancred Robinson, M.D. S.R.S. 2. A Treatise of the Roman Ports and Forts in Kent, by William Somner, &c. Oxon. in 8°. 1693. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. For the Month of April, 1693. The CONTENTS. I. Observations on the comparative, intensive or specific Gravities of various Bodies made by Mr. J.C. II. Extracts of some Letters from Mr. John Sturdie of Lancashire concerning Iron Ore, and more particularly of the Hæmatites wrought into Iron at Milthrop-Forge in that County, communicated by Martin Lister, M.D. and S.R.S. III. The Extract of a Letter from Mr. Anth. Van Leeuwenhoek concerning the Seeds of some Plants, with Observations on the manner of the Propagation of Plants and Animals. IV. Part of a Letter from Sir R.B. S.R.S. to Dr. Lister, concerning the Giants Cawsway in the County of Antrim in Ireland. V. A Relation of a Storm of Thunder and Lightning, &c. at Oundle in Northamptonshire on the 20th of March last, by Mr. W.R. VI. Some Anatomical Observations in the Heads of several Fowl, made by the late Allen Moulin, M.D. S.R.S. VII. An Account of Books. 1. ΠΤΡΕΤΟΛΟΓΙΑ, seu Exercitationes de Morbis Universalibus Acutis. Auth. Ric. Morton M.D. &c. Lond.in 8°. 1692. 2. Catalogus Plantarum Horti Academicici Argentinensis; &c. adcurante Marco Mappo M.D. &c. Argentorati apud Frid. Spoor, 1691. in 12°. 3. Stephani Chauvini Thesaurus Philosophicus, &c. in Fol. 1692. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. For the Month of May, 1693. The CONTENTS. I. THE Method, Manner and Order of the Transmutation of Copper into Brats, &c. by Thomas Povey, Esq; S.R.S. II. Two Letters concerning several Copper Mines, in Answer to some Queries proposed by Dr. Martin Lister, S.R.S who communicated them to the Publisher. III. Eduardi Luidii apud Oxonienses Cimeliarchae Ashmoliani ad Clariss.V.D. Christophorum Hemmer Epistolâ, in quâ agit de lapidibus aliquot perpetuâ figurâ donatis,quos nuperis annis in Oxoniensi & vicinis agris ad-invenit. IV. The Extract of a Letter from Mr. Anthony Van Leeuwenhoek, S.R.S. to the Royal Society, containing several curious Observations on Native Cinnabar, and the firing of Gunpowder, with its Contents, and quantity of Air produced by the Explosion. V. The Description of the American Tomineius, or Humming Bird, communicated by Dr. Nehemiah Grew, S.R.S. VI. An Account of Books. I. Horti Indici Malabarici, Pars Septima, Octava, & Nona, with some Remarks upon them. them. 2. A Collection of Curious Travels and Voyages, in two Tomes. The first containing Dr. Leonhart Rauwolf's Itinerary into the Eastern Countries, &c. The Second taking in many parts of Greece, Asia minor, Egypt, Arabia Felix, and Petrea, Ethiopia, the Red Sea, &c. from the Observations of Monsieur Belon, Vernon, Greaves, Dr. Spon, Smith, Huntingdon, &c. Lond. Printed for S. Smith and B. Walford, in 8°. 1693. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. For the Month of June, 1693. The CONTENTS. I. A Letter from F. A. Esq; S.R.S. to the Publisher, with a Paper of Mr. S. Flowers, containing the exact and curious Draughts of several unknown Characters, copied from the Ruines at Persepolis. II. An Account of certain transparent Pebbles, mostly of the Shape of the Ombriæ or Brontiæ. By Martin Lister, M.D. and S.R.S. III. Two Letters from Mr. John Clayton Rector of Crofton at Wakefield in Yorkshire, containing many curious Remarks made by him in Virginia, and his Voyage thither. IV. An Account of a Book, by R. H. M. D. R.S. S. Archæologiae Philosophicae; sive Doctrina antiqua de Rerum Originibus. Libri duo. Auth. Thoma Burnet. S.T.D. Londini Typis R. N. Impensis G. Kettily ad insigne Capitis Episcopi in Cœmiterio Paulino. 1692. in 4to. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. For the Months of July and August, 1693. The CONTENTS. I. A Query put by Dr. N. Grew, S. R. S. Concerning the Food of the Humming Bird; occasioned by the Description of it in the Transactions, Numb. 200. II. Some Observations made by Mr. Paschall, on the Motions of Diseases, and on the Births and Deaths of Men and other Animals, in different times of the Nuxthmecov. III. Dr. Molineux's Account of a Stone of extraordinary bigness, spontaneously voided through the Urethra, by a Woman at Dublin. IV. An Account of the Tubera Terræ, or Truffles found at Rushton in Northamptonshire, with some Remarks thereon by Tancred Robinson, M.D. and S.R.S. V. A Letter from Mr. Martin Hartop at Naples to the Publisher, concerning the late Earthquake in Sicily VI. An Extract of an Account of the Earthquake mentioned in the foregoing Letter, taken out of an Italian Paper. Written by P. Alejandro Burgos. Printed first at Palermo, and afterwards at Naples, 1693. VII. An Extract of a Letter from Mr. Anth. Van Leeuwenhoek, S.R.S. containing several Observations on the Texture of the Bones of Animals, compared with that of Wood, on the Bark of Trees. Trees. On the Scales found on the Skin, &c. VIII. A Proposal concerning the Parallax of the fixt Stars in reference to the Earth's annual Orb: Being the Extracts of several Letters, dated May 2. June 29. and July 20.1693. from the Reverend Dr. John Wallis, S. R. S. to William Molineux, Esq; IX. An Account of a Book, Entituled, Synopsis Methodica, Animalium Quadrupedum & Serpentini Generis, Vulgarium Notas Characteristicas, Rariorum Descriptiones integras exhibens: Cum Historiis & Observationibus Anatomicis perquam curiosis, &c. Anctore Joaune Raio, S. R. S. in 8° Lond. Impensis S. Smith & B. Walford. An ADVERTISEMENT belonging to Page 826. of this Transaction. Fig. 4. represents one of the Tubera Terrae whole, the Papillae and Fibres being observable thereon. Fig. 5. The same Truffle cut through the middle to shew the inside full of whitish Veins. ERRATA. Numb. 198. p. 661. l.14. for Cartilages r. Tendons. p.670. r. Gnaphalium, p. 681. l. 1. r. Q=2/3. Numb. 199. p. 713. l. 23. r. setting on of. p.714. l.26. r. Fig. 14. p. 715. l. 17. r. determine, p. 716. l. 6. r. Aqueus. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. For the Month of September, 1693. I. The Extract of a Letter, giving an Account of a prodigious Storm of Hail of an extraordinary bigness in Lisle, in May, 1686. II. Observatio Eclipse Solaris Bononiae habita die 12° July, Anno 1684. à Cl.V. Dno. Dominico Gulielmino. III. Several Observations and Experiments on the Animalcula in Pepper-Water, &c. By Sir Edm. King, M.D. and S.R.S. IV. The manner of making of Steel, and its Temper; with a Guess at the way the Ancients used to Steel their Picks, for cutting or hewing of Porphyry. By Martin Lister, M.D. and S.R.S. V. The Description of certain Shell-fish found in the East-Indies, extracted out of a Letter from Mr. Witzen to Dr. Lister, who communicated it to the Publisher, with some Notes of his own thereon. VI. A Paper of Mr. Flowers, containing some unknown ancient Characters, with Remarks thereon. By Francis Aston, Esq; S.R.S. VII. A Letter from Mr. Samuel Dale, giving a farther Account of some Coins found some time since at Honodon in Suffolk. VIII. Part of a Letter from Mr. T.M. in Salop to Mr. William Baxter, concerning the strange Effects from the eating of Dog-Mercury, with Observations thereon. By Hans Sloane, M.D. and S.R.S. IX. A Discourse concerning the Proportional Heat of the Sun in all Latitudes, with the Method of collecting the same, as it was read before the Royal Society in one of their late Meetings. By Edm.Halley X. Accounts of Books. 1. Diogenes Laertius Graecè & Latinè cum Commentariis integris Doctorum Virorum. Amstelodami, apud Hen. Wetstenium, in 4to. 1692. 2. Considerations on a Book Entitled, The Theory of the Earth. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. For the Month of October, 1693. The CONTENTS. I. An Account of an Experiment made before the Royal Society of the Change of Colour, in a pale transparent Liquor, to a deep Blue, applied to illustrate some Changes of Colour, and other Effects on the Blood of Respiring Animals, by Fred. Slare, M.D. and S.R.S. and Censor of the Colledge of Physicians. II. An Abstract of a Letter from Dr. William Oliver, concerning the strange Flowing and Ebbing of a Well near Torbay. III. A Second Letter from the same Person, giving a farther Account of the same Well, as likewise of a Storm of Thunder and Lightning in the Bay of Biscay; both Communicated by Walter Moyle, Esq.; IV. Emendationes ac Notæ in vetustas Albatenii Observationes Astronomicas, cum restitutione Tabularum Lunisolarium ejusdem Authoris. Per Edm. Halley, S.R.S. V. An Account of the true Cortex Winteranus, and the Tree that bears it, by Hen' Sloane, M.D. and S.R.S. VI. An Account of a Book; Pharmacologia seu Manuductio ad materiam Medicam in quâ Medicamenta Officinalia, &c. describuntur, &c. à Sam. Dale. Lond. in Octavo, 1693. Impensis S. Smith & B. Walford, R.S. Typogr. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. For the Month of November, 1693. The CONTENTS. I. An Extract of a Letter from Sir Rich. Bulkley, S.R.S. to Dr. Lister, concerning the Improvement to be made by the Cultivation of Maize in Ireland; with a Remark thereon, by Mr. John Ray, S.R.S. II. A Letter from Mr. John Clayton, Rector of Crofton in Yorkshire; being a Continuation of his Account of Virginia, touching the Earth and Soyl thereof; with some Observations on the Planting of Tobacco, promised in Transact. Numb. 201. III. An Extract of a Letter from Mr. Anth. Van Leeuwenhoek, S.R.S. to the Royal Society, containing his Observations on the Seeds of Cotton, Dates, Cloves, Currans, Gooseberries, &c. the Scales of Fish, Pores of the Skin, Salts in several Liquors, &c. IV. An Instance of the Excellence of the Modern Algebra, in the Resolution of the Problem of finding the Foci of Optick Glasses universally, by Mr. E. Halley, S.R.S. V. An Abstract of part of a Letter from Mr. Samuel Dale, to Mr. John Haughton, S.R.S. concerning the making of Turnep-bread, in Essex. VI. An Extract of a Second Letter from Sir R. B. concerning the Propagation of Elms by the Seed. VII. An Account of a Book entituled, Phalacinologia nova five Observationes de Rarioribus quibusdam Bakenis in Scotiae Littus nuper ejectis, &c., Auth. Roberto Sibbald. Edinburgi in 4° 1692. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. For the Month of December, 1693. The CONTENTS. I. A Letter from Mr. John Clayton, Rector of Crofton at Wakefield in Yorkshire, to the Royal Society, giving a farther Account of the Soil of Virginia, and Planting of Tobacco there, with the Draining of Swamps, &c. As likewise a Description of the several Species of Birds observed there by himself, with several Curious Remarks on the Heads of Fowl, more particularly of their Ears, compared with those of the Mole, &c. II. Some Queries concerning the Nature of Light and Diaphanous Bodies, proposed to the Royal Society by Mr. Edm. Halley, S. R. S. III. An Account of two Books. 1. Pharmacopoeia Bateana, English by Mr. William Salmon, Professor of Physick. 2. Phthisiologia Lancastriensis cui accessit Tentamen Philosoph. de aquis Mineralibus, &c. Auth. Carolo Leigh, M.D.