Volume 1

Further correspondence of John Ray / edited by Robert W.T. Gunther.

  • Ray, John, 1627-1705.
Date:
1928
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Further correspondence of John Ray / edited by Robert W.T. Gunther. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    stating that the phenomenon of the darting of threads had been observed both by Lister and Hulse indepen¬ dently of one another. Seven letters written by Wray, as he still spelt his name, to the Secretary of the Royal Society, Henry Oldenburg, are preserved in the Society’s archives. The earliest of the series, dated Jan. 5, 1670, we are now able to print, with the kind permission of the Council of the Royal Society: 39. Royal Society Letter Book, No. 10. Sir, What I now send you concerning the juice of Pismires, I received not long since from Dr. Hulse & Mr. Sam. Fisher ; & you may, if you think it worthy their notice, communicate to the R. Society ; & publish or suppresse as you see cause. Aug. 10 last past con¬ cerning this juice Dr. Hulse sent me the following observations. 44 Lately (saith he) consulting Langham's garden of health, I met with this passage. 4 Cast the flowers of Cichory amongst a heap of Ants, & they will soon become as red as blood.’ [A7.P.—Langham was not the first that made or published this observation : I find it delivered by Hieronymus Tragus Hist, stirpium lib. 1, cap. 91. Naturce miraculum in hoc fore observare licet; Si quidem cumulo formicarum abditus, coeruleum colorem in rubeum mutat, ac si terrore illarum erubesceret. & before him by Otho Brunfelsius, as Joannes Bauhinus takes notice.] I presently got some Cichory flowers and made the experiment, & find it to be true that he saith ; only he takes no notice of the manner how the flowers come to be so stained, which therefore take as follows. Bare an Anthill with a stick, and then cast your flowers upon it, and you shall see the Ants creep very thick over them. Now as they creep, they let fall a drop of liquor from them, & when that chanceth to light there you shall have in a moment a large red stain. Sometimes they will be a pretty while before they discolour them,