76 CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 



ing that any flowers turned red will be restored to the 

 former colour by any alkali is most certainly true ; and 

 he is mistaken, as I have more than once tried. 



Mr. Paschal, of Queen's College, was lately at Hack- 

 ney, and has left several moulds, wherein coins have been 

 cast, in Dr. Worthington's hand, and desired him to 

 deliver them to you when you came to London. The 

 Doctor desired me to acquaint you concerning them. 

 They were digged up in Somersetshire. In my mind they 

 are a greater rarity than the coins themselves. If you 

 think it worth your labour, you may communicate what 

 I have communicated to you to the Royal Society. I 

 shall be glad to hear from you; and so, in haste, I 

 remain. 



Jan. 6, ft. 



Dr. LISTEK to Mr. RAY. 



DEAR SIR, I thank you for the account of the acid 

 liquor of pismires, with the which I am much pleased. 

 It is strange they should light upon no other animal that 

 will afford an acid spirit, especially amongst insects. I 

 had verily thought there were many such, and I yet 

 think so, but I have not had the leisure to examine many 

 to this end. There is a separation of an acid juice, or 

 spirit, to be made in the analysis of vegetables mentioned 

 by Mr. Boyle, and in Glazer : this I guess to be very 

 much akin to the acid liquor of pismires. Quasre, whether 

 a saccharum saturni, made with the acid spirit of box, 

 or oak (ex. gr. after Mr. Boyle's way), will not give us 

 back the same spirit again ? It seemeth probable it will, 

 since the pearls seem to have separated its oiliness or 

 soapy part. The like effect copper may have upon the 

 rape and wine in making of verdet. To this purpose 

 Mr. Boyle, in his last piece lately extant, tells us that 

 spirit of vinegar, which has been fully satiated with pearls, 



