CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 241 



of violets acquire that smell from a moss adhering to 

 them ; but Wormius, in his ' Museum,' p. 38, says, a 

 piece of one of those stones kept in his museum many 

 years, having no moss adhering to it, did still retain that 

 scent. I design to send for some of the moss and stone, 

 when I have an opportunity, and then we may hope to 

 be able to judge better of this phenomenon. I have sent 

 to my correspondent to inquire farther about the truth 

 of the relation of the ear of rye. Mr. John Aubrey writes 

 to me, that he could give a guess how the ear might 

 come in, but that it would not be fit to be inserted in a 

 letter. In the same letter he acquaints me that a young 

 Cornish^gentleman assures him that he has lately observed 

 in Catalonia, and amongst the Pyrenean Hills, many 

 British words amongst the natives. I did not think that 

 any young Cornish gentlemen had understood British ; 

 however, this wants a confirmation, and 'tis possible this 

 gentleman having picked out five or six parallel words 

 (which is easily done out of any language in these parts 

 of Europe) took it for granted, from their guttural pro- 

 nunciation, that there might be many more. " He* 

 informs me that he was present when a stone was broken 

 by workmen, which lay upon the top of the ground, 

 wherein was contained a toad, in form and colour alto- 

 gether resembling the common one, though something 

 less, which, being laid upon the ground, crawled about as 

 long as the sun shone warm upon it, but towards night 

 died. I examined the stone (says he), and supposed it 

 at first to be of an extraordinary open texture, or else the 

 hole wherein the toad lay to have some private communi- 

 cation with the air ; but upon a more strict inquiry I 

 found the stone of a close grit, but that place especially 

 where she lodged to be of a much harder texture, much 

 of the nature of the iron stone which the workmen call 

 an iron band." 



Upon the reading your discourse of the rains continu- 



* Dr. Richardson, of North Bierley, in Yorkshire. 



16 



