196 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. (]aNNO 1705' 



belly upwards, as large as the life; fig. 22 and 23, the worm and the fly with 

 their backs upward; fig. 24 and 25, the worm magnified; fig. 26, the mother 

 fly magnified. 



Concerning a Leaden Coffin, &c. taken out of a Roman Burying-place, near 

 York. By Mr. Ralph Thoresby, F. R.S. N°296, p. 1864. 



There has been lately found in the Roman burying-place a remarkable lead 

 cofl[in, which by the circumstances seems to have been for a person of quality; 

 it was 9 feet deep in the ground, 6 of which were clay, and 3 a black earth; 

 the coflSn, which was about 7 feet long, was inclosed in a prodigious strong 

 one, made of oak planks, about 2\ inches thick, which besides the rivettings 

 were tacked together with brags, or large iron nails; these are 4 inches long, 

 the heads not diewise, as the large nails now are, but perfectly flat, and an inch 

 broad; I have one somewhat diflTerent, the nail itself is half an inch broad, and 

 thin, somewhat in the form of a wedge, and the head not round, as the others, 

 but somewhat like the modern draw-nails, but these old ones are generally 

 square, the four sides of an equal breadth; many of them are almost consumed 

 with the rust, and the outsides of the planks, but the heart of the oak is firm, 

 and the lead very fresh and pliable; whereas one found about a year ago is 

 brittle, and almost wholly consumed, having no planks to guard it: but what I 

 was most surprised at was, that the bones should be entire, though probably 

 interred 1500 years ago; for it is above so many centuries since their custom of 

 burning gave place to that more natural of burying their dead, which, accord- 

 ing to M. Muret, was re-introduced by the Antonines. I have a thigh-bone, 

 which is exceedingly light, and the lower jaw, which was furnished with all the 

 teeth, but some of them are since stolen out. 



Experiments on the Production and Propagation of Light from the Phosphorus 

 . in Vacuo ; made before the Royal Society, by Mr. Fra, Hauksbee, N° 2q6, 

 p, 1865. 



* Exper. /. — Having provided a dark room, the first experiment was by draw- 

 ing some lines on a piece of blue paper with the phosphorus, which became 

 immediately luminous in the open air, having a continual undulating motion. 

 This being placed under a receiver, after some few exsuctions, the undulation 

 ceased, but the luminous quality appeared to be in a great measure increased; 

 the receiver being farther exhausted, it became manifestly brighter; and so con- 

 tinued, till on the admission of air, which was done gradually, the light sen- 

 sibly diminishing all the while. But on the repetition of the experiment, it was 



O '» •> 



