A Letter from Sir Robert Sibbald to Dr. Martin Lister Coll. Med. Lond. & S. R. S. Containing an Account of Several Shells Observed by Him in Scotland

VIII. A Letter from Sir Robert Sibbald to Dr. Martin Lister Coll. Med. Lond. & S. R. S. containing an Account of several Shells observed by him in Scotland. SIR, I received yours, and the Exercitationes Medicinales, for which I give you many thanks. I am perswaded the Method you take for promoting Learning is the best, your joining the Antient and Modern Learning together, in my Opinion doth both illustrate and advance our Art. Your late pieces, I hope, will prevail with some to abate of that Contempt they had of the Ancient Phisitians; your Explaining in your Exercitatio Anatomica Tertia, the way the Stone is produced in the Bladder, from the way that Shells and Pearls are produced, and from the Petrifications that are made by Mineral Waters is most satisfying in my Opinion, and preferable to what I have seen Written by any other. I have seen some of the Stones taken out of the Bladder broak, which consisted of many Coats, like the Skins of an Onion. We have some Waters that Petrifie. Upon the North side of the Firth of Forth, some eight Miles from the City, there is a Cove close upon the Sea, the Roof of which is covered with a Stalagmites a Foot deep, like the Fringe of a Bed; the upper coat is of a Sea-colour, the Juice is as white as the Sal Prunella; the Water which droppeth from it, if it touch the Skin, maketh it smart: Near to this same Cove, is a piece of an Hollow Rock; which within, from the top to the bottom, is full of so many orders of Columns, resembling the Pipes of a Church Organ, and some of different Figures; I broke a small one and found somewhat what hollow in the middle. All the Ground in this place is full of Lime-stone. You desired in yours a Collection of Shells from this place, I forbore to write hoping to have gotten some, but have not been so happy yet, for that there is little or no Communication with the Inhabitants of the Isles, the Sea is so infested with Pyrates. I am promised by a Friend who is going to Sky a Parcel, which if I get them I shall send to you; in the mean time I thought it might be acceptable to you, to give an Account of the rarest I have seen found here, or in our Isles: If I could have had your Historia or Synopsis Methodica Conchiliorum, I could have digested them in better Order; but tho' I gave several Commissions to our Book-sellers that went for London, I could never have it yet, they said to me it was not to be found in the Shops. I have entreated the Gentleman who delivereth this Letter to you, to know of you where it may be had, I am in hopes to learn much of Shells from it: Bonani giveth but little light in this matter. Of the Univalves. The rarest are 1. the Nautilus Falconeri, the Shell was sent me by a Friend from the North, and was broken by lying amongst the Stones upon the Shoar: The Structure is marvellous where the Animal lyeth, there are two Decks visible one above another of a Pearl Colour; there is a hole in the upper Deck naturally, thro' which may be seen the other Deck at some distance from the upper, and such another hole in it; the higher part of the Shell which resembleth a Helmet; where it is broken sheweth several vaulted division, betwixt which a Tube passeth that is hollow, they are of the Colour of Pearl too. The outward Coat of the Shell is of a dark Grey Colour, which is much worn off in this, and there there appeareth a smooth Coat, with Brown and White Stroaks. The next to this is that which Boccone in his Recherches calleth the Pediculus Ceti, it is of one Valve, but what is singular, it is open at both ends; the Structure of it, both within, and without, is very curious; the Animal was so dried I could not distinguish the parts of it, but it must be of an odd shape if it fit the sinuous Caverns that are in the inner part of the Shell. The Testudo Marina Squamosa is sometimes cast in upon the Orkney Isles, the Shell of one was sent to me, was two Foot in length, and of a proportionable breadth. There is a great variety of the Patellae or Limpets found in the Isle of Sky. Mr. Martin my Friend, a curious Gentleman, who was born there, and sometimes stayeth there shewed me these following. Besides the common Patella there is one of a middle size of a dark Grey Colour, which is much flatter than the common Patella; the Circle about the Peak is of a lighter Colour, there are many Striae runs from the Peak to the Border, and it hath another larger Circle near the Border. There is another flat one raised too of a Grey Colour. There is a Conical Limpet raised with the Peak White, and a Circle below it of an Orange Colour, the rest below that of the same Colour variegated with black Spots. There is a Conical one too of a middle size, smooth and brownish with a white Peak. There is an Oval Limpet of a fucal size, thin and transparent, the Peak of a dark Colour; in the Convex part below the middle, there are some blew Lines very beautiful. There is a great variety of the Trochi likewise. The Trochus albidus maculis rubentibus distinctus, a large sort of the same, and a lesser sort. A Trochus of a middle size of the Colour of Pearl all over, which he told me he took up so out of the Sands. A Trochus of a reddish Colour, marked with Spots that are dark. A Trochus of a Colour betwixt Blew and Grey, marked with dark Spots, this had a Cancellus in it. And Mr. Martin said he was told, that there was in the Isle of Sky a Trochus of a Gold Colour. Cochlea Umbilicata. There is a small sort of the Cochlea Umbilicata, with Waves of a brown Colour upon a white Ground. There is a lesser Cochlea Umbilicata, with darker Waves upon a white Ground. Cochlea Fasciata. There is a small Cochlea Fasciata with the Fasciae brown, upon a white Ground. Another of that sort, with the Fasciae darker upon a pale Ground. A small Cochlea Yellow all over. A small Cochlea of an Orange Colour. A small one of a brown Colour, smooth, with waved Lines of a dark Colour. Nerita. There is a small Nerita of an Orange Colour. One of the Cochleae Convins of a smaller sort, of an Oker Colour. Of the Bivalves. There is great variety of the Peckines we call here Clams. One of the middle size, with two Ears very White. One of a dark Colour, variegated with white streaks and spots. Of the least sort, about the size of the Roman Silver Medals, and some less. One with two Ears, with Orange Spots, upon a white Ground. One entirely of an Orange Colour. One of a Purplish Colour. One variegated like a Gilly-flower, with broad purplish and white Spots. The Lines of this run transverse. As do these, one with reddish and white streaks. One with white Spots upon an Orange Ground. One with a white Ground and dark Spots. With the Lines Perpendicular. One with two Ears with a dark Ground, and the Lines white and straight. One of an Ear of a Purplish Colour. One of an Ear Brownish, the upper part of the Shell raised somewhat above the edge, and the edge is more striated. Of the Tellinae. One with white and blew Fasciae. One with the Fasciae yellowish and obscure. Of the Conchae laeves. One large with the Fasciae dark, and some white lines running from the Peak to the Border. One of a middle size, with the Fasciae bleuish, upon white perpendicular striae. A third least of all, with white Fasciae upon a reddish Ground. A Pectunculus with a Fascia of a greyish Colour, and three straight Lines. A Pecten of a small size, consisting as it were of 4 Shells, each of them raised somewhat above another, of a greyish blew Colour. Of the Quinquevalve. We have one sort of the Pholas best described by you. And the Barnacle which I call Concha quinquevalvis Animal sui generis continens variis cirrhis & cauda rotunda Rugosa instructum. Dr. Balfour found Eggs in the Cauda of it. If any of these seem curious, I shall endeavour to procure of them for you, and what else may be acceptable to you.