A Letter from the Late Mr. Edward Lhwyd, Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, to Dr. Tancred Robinson, F. R. S. Giving a Farther Account of what He Met with Remarkable in Natural History and Antiquities, in His Travels thro' Wales

An other Dog, that had the Nerves of the Par vagum only tyed, lived 10 Days: He vomited frequently, and would not eat unless clandestinely: He breathed with Sighs, and was very faint. A Dog, that had the Trunk of the Aorta descendens tyed hard a little above the Diaphragme, immediately lost the use of his hind Legs; for when he stood on his fore Legs, he would draw after him his hinder Legs, as if they had been dead: He grew weaker by degrees, and dyed in five Hours. July the 12th, a Mole being stung in the Side by a Scorpion, dyed immediately convulsed. In this we observed, that the Intestinum cecum is wanting in Moles. III. A Letter from the late Mr. Edward Lhwyd, Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, to Dr. Tancred Robinson, F. R. S. Giving a farther Account of what he met with remarkable in Natural History and Antiquities, in his Travels thro' Wales. Lhan Dyvoodog, Glamorganshire, Sept. 22. 1697. SIR, I Had no sooner received your last, but was forced to retire in a hurry to the Mountainous Parts of this County, in order to copy out a large Welsh MS. which the Owner was not willing to spare above two or three Days, and that in his Neighbourhood. It was writ on Vellom, about 300 Years since; and contained a Collection of most of the oldest Writers mentioned by Dr. Davies, Davies at the end of the Welsh Dictionary: So I thought it better trespassing on the Gentleman's patience that lent it, than lose such an Opportunity as perhaps will not occur again in my Travels. This is the occasion of my long Silence —— the transcribing of that Book taking up two Months of our time. I sent Mr. Ray an Account of some Plants we met with, with three or four Figures, which perhaps you have seen. We have since found two or three others, which I had never met with before; viz. 1. *Lysimachia Chamaenerion dicta Alpina C.B. Prodr.* 2. *Bifolium minimum.* 3. *Solanifolia Circeae Alpina C.B.* 4. Mr. Ray's *Alpine spuria pusilla repens foliis Saxifragae aureae.* We found indeed the First also last Year at Hyswad, one of the Hills of Snowdon; and I had formerly sent Mr. Ray a dried Leaf. Dr. Richardson brought it home with him last Year; and it flowing since in his Garden, he is fully satisfy'd it is distinct from the Common French Willow-Herb. In a steep Rock called Craig y park, and others in the Parish of Ystrad Dyvodog, we observed divers Veins of Coal, exposed to sight as naked as the Rock; and found a Flint Axe, somewhat like those used by the Americans. At Goldcliff in Monmouthshire we had some variety of form'd Stones: But what pleased me most was an *Asteria,* or Column Star-Stone, beset with Sprigs the whole length of it, issuing from the Commissures of the Plates. This County abounds with *Entrochis,* one whereof I saw in a Rock at the Isle of Barry, above 15 Inches in length; and another about 10 Inches long, but as thick as a Cane. We took their Figures and Dimensions, but could not get off the Stones without breaking. At Kaer philly Castle the People shewed us an Inscription (as they supposed) on one of the Steps of the Tower; Tower; a Copy whereof I here send you. I must confess I am not fully satisfied whether it were ever designed for reading, or for some kind of Antique Ornament; but rather incline to the latter. The Stone was not designed for a Step, there being none of the same kind in the whole Stair-Cafe. The Marks were mostly worn out by treading; and it is possible they might be once more uniform; and some few Mistakes may have happened in the copying it as it is. I have sent the Stone to the Museum at Oxford; where the Curious may be satisfied. Were it the old Celtic Character, which Cesar says was like the Greek, 'twere a noble Discovery: But I fear our Ancestors (if ever they had any Writing) have left us none upon Stones. I also copied the Masons Marks on some Stones there; whereby perhaps some Persons curious in Architecture may judge whether it has been a Roman or later British Building: I say Roman or British, because the Saxons and Danes never settled here; and it is older than the Norman Conquest. We have collected what Insects occur'd this Summer, especially the Butterflies; but we are ignorant of the means of preserving them well in our Travels. I shall take all the Care I can of the Zoophytes this Winter in Pembrokeshire and Cardiganshire; but as yet we have met with very few of them. I am, Honoured Sir, Your most humble and affectionate Servant, E. LHWYD. Fig. 1. Fig. 1. The Masons Marks on the Stones that supported the Arches at Kaerphily Castle, Glamorganshire. Fig. 2. A Sculpture on one of the Steps in a round Tower at Kaer Phily Castle. Fig. 3. Certain Plates which frequently occur amongst the Entrochi of this County. IV. Several Observations relating to the Antiquities and Natural History of Ireland, made by Mr. Edw. Lhwyd, in his Travels thro' that Kingdom. In a Letter to Dr. Tancred Robinson, Fellow of the College of Physicians and Royal Society. Bathgate near Linlithgow, Scotland, Dec. 15. 1699. SIR, Your last, dated some time in July, overtook me about a Month after in Ireland; whence I had returned my Thanks, but that I was desirous to see somewhat more of the Country, in order to some Materials for a Letter. But having no conveniency of dispatching Letters from the Highlands of this Kingdom, I find I have now so long deter'd it, that I have by me Materials for several Letters; which must serve hereafter, when we traverse Places affording fewer Curiosities. We continued not above three Days at Dublin, when we steer'd our Course towards the Giants Causeway. The most remarkable Curiosity we saw by the way, was a flatly Mount at a Place called New Grange near Drogheda; having a number of huge Stones pitch'd on end round about it, and a singe one on the Top. The Gentleman