202 On the different Theories of Fhihfof hers 



Tlie following faft is fimilar to one which I have related 

 in mv memoir*: — '^ In the year 1762, at Tufcarawas, on 

 Multingiim^ white going to fetch water out of the river, I 

 obferved," favs Mr. Heckewelder, " a large black fnake 

 running out on a long limb of a large tree which flood on 

 the water's edge. This limb was nearly horizontal over, and 

 about twelve feet above the level of, the water. I c^uld not, 

 at firft, conceive what the fnake aimed at, nntil near the erid 

 of this limb I faw the animal llretch downwards, where I 

 obferved a banning f bird's neO:, pretty well concealed be- 

 tween fome fmall bQiighs or leaves, into which the fnake put 

 its head, having ftrung its tail, with part of its body, round 

 the limb above. Determined on killing the fnake, if pofii- 

 ble, I ran to the hflufe for mv gun, and fliot the reptile, 

 which fell into the river, with a young bird in its jaws." 



" I and another perfon once obferved a fnake of this kind 

 run up a tree pretty high, and put its head into a woodpeck- 

 er's neft, where, as we fnppofed, it fucked the bird's eggs, it 

 being too early for the young birds to be hatched J." 



On thefe fafts I fliall not trouble you with any comments, 

 but Ihall proceed with my examination of Mr. Blumenbach's 

 Remarks. • 



[To be continneaL} 



XXXVI. Ohfervathns on the different Theories of Philofophers. 

 to explain the Fhcenomena of Comhujlion, By Ch aisles 

 • Portal, E/y.§ 



T, 



HERE is no pha?nomenon in nature that has hitherto 

 engaged the attention of philofophers with lefs fuccefs in the 

 elucidation of its principles than that of combuftion, and it 

 cl prefent atfords one of the chief obftaclcs to the forming of 

 a clear and fatisfac^ory theory of ehemiliry. 3*tisnotfin- 

 gular, that a fubjeft of fo ftriking a nature, and abounding 

 with a variety of fuch important phsenomena, fhould have 

 early attracted the attention of philofophers, and we accord- 

 ingly find that it was made the fubje6l of inveftigation by 

 lord Bncon and Mr. Boyle. 



Thefe two philofophers were, however, more particularly 

 confined in their inquiries to the nature of the unknown ele- 

 ment called jfr^,' nor did they reach fufRcieutly far in fuch 



• See nai^L-s 67 and 6R. +' Orinlu'; Baltimnrc of Linn«us. • 



1 Letter dlrcadj- itfcrRd to. § Commuiiicaitd by thn Ainlmr. 



inquiries 



