64 MEM O IR S of tbe 
i:he making of Brafs 3 hy Mr, Tho. Povey. Phil. Tranf. N. 200 
P- 735- 
/^Alamine is dug out of feveral mines in the weft of England^ 
^ as about Mendipy &c. about 20 foot deep; it is burnt or cal- 
cined in a kiln or oven made red hot, then it is ground to pow- 
der, and fifted to the hnenefs of flower, and mixt with ground 
charcoal, becaufe the Calamine is apt to be clammy, to clod, and 
not fo apt to incorporate; then they put feven pounds of Cala- 
mine into a melting pot that holds about a gallon, and about five 
pounds of copper, uppermoft; the Calamine mult be mixed vvith 
as much coal as will fill the pot; this is let down with tongs into 
a wind- furnace 8 foot deep, wherein it remains 1 1 hours 5 they 
caft ofF not above twice in 24 hours ; one furnace holds eight 
pots ; after melting it is caft into plates or lumps : Forty five 
pounds of raw Calamine produce 50 pounds burnt or calcined: 
Erals fhurff ferves inftead of fo much copper, but this cannot be 
always procured in large quantities, becaule it is a collcdlion of 
pieces of old brais, which is ufually got in fmall parcels: The 
beft guns are not made of malleable metal, and cannot be made 
of pure copper or brafs, but it is neceffary to put in coarfer me- 
tals to make it run clofer and founder, as lead and pot-metal 3 
bell-metal is copper and tin, and pot-metal is copper and lead 3 
about 20 pounds of lead is ufually put to 100 pounds of pot-me- 
tal 3 but about fix pounds are fufficient to be put to 100 pounds of 
gun-metal: The Calamine ftone was heretofore brought from 
*Polandy but fince from hence by the Q^utch : The manufacture 
of brafs was for feveral hundred years kept private in Germany^ 
wherein many thoufands were employed, and Ibme raifed them- 
felves to confiderable eftates. 
^l?e Humming Bird; ly Mr, Hamerfly. Phil. Tranf. K° 2C0 
-p. 7do. 
TH E R E is in moft parts of America a bird called by the 
Englijh the Hum-!Bird, by the Spaniards I'omineiiiSy of 
an excellent fhining green colour and very reiJ3lendent, the colour 
fomething refemblmg fome of our Englijh drake's heads ; it is 
found in the colder parts of America^ as well as in the hotter ; it 
is the fmalleft of all birds; both the leg and foot together arc 
but half an inch, the other parts are anlwerable, and the whole 
trunk of the body is not quite an inch : Upon weighing one as 
foon as it was killed, it was found to be only the tenth part of an 
ounce avoirdupois, which is much about the weight of a coined 
