304 " PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1748. 



seems very well worth observation, this flame of fire gives neither smoke nor 

 smell, however great it be. 



About an English mile and half from this place there are wells of white naphtha; 

 which is exceedingly inflammable; and though the flame of naphtha affbrds 

 both smoke and smell, it is highly probable the perpetual fire just described is 

 owing to naphtha, but so purified, in filtering through the stone, that it becomes 

 divested of all such particles as produce smoke or smell. The stone and earth 

 are grey in colour, and saltish to the taste ; and indeed much salt is found on 

 this peninsula of Abscheron. There is also a salt lake, near the side of which 

 the white naphtha flows by 5 different springs. This naphtha is made use of 

 only in the medicinal way. It is yellowish from the spring, but when distilled 

 resembles spirits of wine. They give it internally for gonorrhceas, disorders of 

 the breast, and for the stone , and they apply it externally in gouty cases, con- 

 tractions of the sinews, and cramps. 



Black naphtha is produced 8 or Q miles from the perpetual fire ; it is thick, 

 and being distilled grows not clear, but yellow. About Baku there is some of it 

 so thick, that they employ it for greasing wheels : but the best, and greatest 

 plenty, is at Balachame, where there are above 50 springs, the greatest producing 

 every day 500 batman, each batman containing 10 Russ pounds, which are 

 somewhat less than English weight. You hear it make a considerable noise in 

 rising out of the ground, though the spring be 20 fathoms deep. 



In Baku they have little or no other fuel to burn besides naphtha, but it must 

 be mixed with earth or ashes to make it fit for use. The fire it makes is only 

 good to boil with ; and this inconveniency attends it, that all their food so boiled 

 smells and tastes of naphtha. For baking and roasting they make use of abro-- 

 tanum, abysynthium, and such like ; but in general naphtha is their fire. 



An Abstract of Mr. Bonnet's Memoir concerning Caterpillars. Drawn up in 

 French by Mr. Abraham Trembley, F.R.S.; here translated into Eno-lish. 

 N° 487, p. 300. 



The paper lately communicated by the president from Mons. Bonnet of Ge- 

 neva, contains various experiments he has made relative to the respiration of ca- 

 terpillars. Malpighi first discovered, that those 18 openings or orifices, which 

 are placed g on each side of the caterpillar, and which are called by the name of 

 stigmata, serve to give respiration to this class of animals. 



Mr. de Reaumur has repeated the experiments of Malpighi, and made several 

 new ones on this subject. And he was of opinion, that these apertures served 

 only for the inspiration of the air, which the caterpillar afterwards respired, 

 through the whole superficies of its body. 



Mr. Bonnet had reason to think these caterpillars do both inspire and expire 



