33 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [anNO 1735. 



A Continuation of an Account of an Essay towards a Natural History of Ca- 

 rolina and the Bahama /stands, by Mark Catesby, F. R. S. fVith some 

 Extracts out of the Seventh Set. By Dr. Mortimer, R. S. Secret. N° 438, 

 p. 112. 



This 7th set consists of the description of fishes. 



A Halo observed at Rome, Aug. 11, 1732. By Sig. De Revillas. N° 438, 



p. 118. From the Latin. 



1 From 9 o'clock in the forenoon, till 2 in the afternoon, a simple halo was 

 observed to surround the sun. It was exactly circular, and well defined; and 

 its breadth equal to the sun's apparent diameter. The innermost colour was 

 red; the rest pretty dilute, and analogous to those in the rainbow, but termi- 

 nating in a whitish brightness. 

 :ii 



Concerning an Ancient Date found at JVidgel-Hall in Hertfordshire. By Mr. 



John Cope. N° 439, P- ^ •O- 



Fig. 4, pi. 2, represents an ancient chimney-piece, as Mr. Cope was informed, 

 found on pulling down part of Widgel-Hall in Hertfordshire. There is cut on 

 it a date expressed part in Roman numerals, and part in Indian figures ; which 

 is the earliest instance he has met with of the Indian figures being used here in 

 England, viz. 99- l6, or I0l6; that at Colchester being in the year lOgO. See 

 Philos. Trans. N° 266. The carving is very fair, the letter 31^ and the figure 

 project out above a quarter of an inch. The whole chimney-piece is of English 

 oak plank, and is now very firm, though T iS years old, and was never painted 

 over; it is 4 feet S\ inches long; the part under the l6 was broken off in 

 taking it down in August, 1733, when the house was on fire. ♦ * * 



Remarks on the foregoing Ancient Date, found at Widgel-Hall near Bunting- 

 ford in Hertfordshire, on an Oaken Plank. By John Ward, Rhet. Pr. Gresh. 



and F. R. S. N° 439, P- 120. 



m 

 April 4, 1734, a curious draught of an ancient date, carved in an oaken 



plank, at Widgel-Hall, the seat of Francis Gulston, Esq. was laid before the 



Royal Society, as the most early instance of our common figures, usually called 



Arabian, which had ever been observed in England. It was read 3l9l6, and 



thought to express the year 1016, the 2|B being taken for a Roman numeral, 



and the \Q for Arabian figures. 



