Royal Society. 33 
the mixture being put into a ftrong ftone-retort, to which a large 
receiver, in a great meafure filled with water, was fo joined, that 
the nole of the retort did ahnoll touch the water ^ then the two 
velTels being carefully luted together, a naked fire was gradually 
adminiftered for five or fix hours, that what was cither phlegmatic 
or volatile might come over firftj when this was done, the fire 
was encreafed, and at laft, for five or fix hours made as flrong 
and intenle, as the furnace was capable of giving 3 which violence 
of the fire, is a circumflance not to be omitted in this operation^ 
by this means there came over a great deal of white fum.es, almoft 
like thole that appear in the diftillation of the oil of vitriol, and 
when thefe fumes were over, and the receiver appeared clear, 
they were, in a little time, fucceeded by another Ibrt, which 
leemed in the receiver to yield a faint blueifli light, almofl; like 
that of little burning matches dip'd in fulphur3 and lail of all, the 
fire being very vehement, there came over another fubftance, that 
was thought more ponderous than the former, becaule it fell thro' 
the water to the bottom of the receiver j whence beinp taken out 
(and partly even whilft it continued therein) it appeared by feveral 
cffecls, and other phienomena tobefuch a iubftance as was defired 
and expeded. 
Obfervations on the DijJeEiion of a Rat ^ by Mr. Rich. Waller. 
Phil. Tranf. N^ \<)6. p. 5^4- 
TH E fore feet of a rat relemble thofeofthe caflor, or beaver 5 
the hair, as in that animal, is allbfome of it fine, and fome 
coarfej the tail Icaly, with hairs between every Icale, like the caf- 
tor^ which fliew that thofe two animals have Ibme refemblance to 
each other \ and indeed the water-rat comes very near the beaver, 
and makes its holes in the banks and ponds, after the fame man- 
ner : The '^Tenis in the rat hath a particular paffage near the na- 
vel, as in fquirrels, and not at the Anm^ as in the caftor 5 the li- 
ver is full of little fpecks, as big as pins heads, which are the 
fmall glands; there was no gall-bladder, only a 'Du^us Felleus 5 
polTibly^ the bladder was incloled in the 'Tarenchyma of the liver, 
as it is in fome animals j the C<ecum was much larger than the ito- 
mach, and in fliape like that of the caftor; the^'tefticles lay not 
behind, but in the groins on the Os ^Tubii j thefe were like a bot- 
tom, or fkean of thread rumpled up together, which was vifiblc 
thro' the coats of the tefticle j this thread continued of near the 
fame fize in the Epididymides^ only towards the Ueferemia it 
grew larger 5 it was tender, and not eafily unravelled, fo that not 
above -I of a vard could be drawn out, the 'Frojlatce lay under 
Vol. ill. ' E the 
