ITALY. LETTER IX. 



Don Paulo Mccria, Pro/effort delk Sc'inz 

 niore nella pageria reak, a corpulent man, is natu- 

 rally endowed with the quality to fwim, and aoc 

 to fmk in water. 



Padre dntonio Piaggio unrolls and copies at 

 Portici the old burnt manufcripts dug out ia 

 Herculaneum. He has a young Abbe for an 

 affiftant; but his age, the nature of the bufineis, 

 and his fmall reward, give no hopes that he will 

 unfold a great many of thefe precious remains, 

 He is faid to be poflefled of the arcanum to take 

 away the colours from fcveral forts of precious 

 ftones *, and to give fimilar colours to common 

 quartz-cryftallifations. 



Domemco Cottunio, profefibr of anatomy at Na- 

 ples, has publilhed three anatomical difiertations. 

 One treats dc auditu, wherein he fpeaks of a 

 new-difcovered hole in the ears; which, to the 

 honour of the firft obferver, is called Duftus Czt f 

 tunnianus. Another, De fede i^no!arum t does 

 likewife much honour to his name. 



After thefe gentlemen, I will mention to you 

 fome perfons who deal in natural curiofities. 



Pietro Shilling^ living alia porta picccla di S. 

 Ciufeppe maggiore, deals in dried fiihes, IpbHers, 

 craw-fifhes, (hells, and corals, of the Golfo di 



* Burning and uftulating is a common practice for the 

 fame purpofe. 



Napoli, 



