CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 279 



pulpy fruits, but feed upon dry seeds, as all sorts of grain 

 and thistles, &c. To feed upon insects is common to 

 them both. 



Your opinion or conjecture of the Rabihorcado being 

 a kind of fork-tailed lavus or sea-swallow I very much ap- 

 prove and agree with you in. I fancied that they were 

 no palmiped bird, because those that write of them wonder 

 that they should be found so far out at sea, which is no 

 wonder in a lavus. 



My wife salutes you with the tender of her very humble 

 service. The ulcers upon my leg, which I thought had 

 been perfectly healed and dried up, continuing well all 

 winter ,"Bi?e this spring broken out again, and become very 

 troublesome and painful. They puzzle my philosophy, 

 and I am at some loss how to order them. I am, 



Sir, 

 Your very affectionate friend and humble servant, 



JOHN RAY. 



B. N., April 23, 94. 



Mr. PASCIIALL to Mr. RAY. 



SIR, I was lately thinking that this globe, in several 

 parts, and times, and states of it, sends forth various 

 effluvia, sulphureous, nitrous, aqueous, &c., in greater 

 abundance, one or other, or compositions of them, as 

 causes concur. 



I have suspected, that in this unusual constitution of 

 the air we are now in, the sulphureous steams have 

 abounded, partly from beautiful and promising blowing of 

 fruit-trees, and from the warmth of the season, and from 

 the frequent lightnings we have. Last night I noted in 

 my own orchard, in this my low country habitation, what 

 confirms me in it. Walking between two fair coddling 

 hedges I noted something to fall white upon my hat : it 



