6'20 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [ANNO 1784. 



made a tincture from the seeds, which are infinitely stronger in taste than the 

 bark itself. 



Mr. Geo. Davidson s account of the bark-tree of the island of St. Lucia. — The 

 bark-tree of this island (St. Lucia) is nearly about the size of the cherry-tree, 

 seldom thicker than the thigh, and tolerably straight ; the wood is light and 

 porous, without any of the bitterness and astringency of the bark itself. It de- 

 lights in a shady situation, the north-west aspect of hills, under larger trees ; 

 and is generally to be found about the middle of a hill, near some running 

 water. The leaves are large, oblong, opposite, and plain, preserving, as well as 

 the flowers and seeds, the bitter taste of the bark. 



In the beginning of the rainy season (June,) the tree puts forth its flowers in 

 small tufts ; at first they are white, but afterwards turn purplish. The stamina 

 are 5 in number, with a single style. The germen is oblong, bilocular, and 

 furrowed on each side. The seeds are many, and of the winged kind. The 

 corolla is monopetalous, with its mouth divided into 5 long segments. 



The soil in general where it grows is a stiff red clay. The bark itself is of a 

 lighter red than that sent out here to the hospital under the name of red bark. 

 It inclines more to the colour of cinnamon. The bitterness and astringency ap- 

 pear to be greater than in either of the other barks. Infused in cold water, in 

 which form, or in lime-water, I generally use it, it forms a very red tincture, 

 possessing the bitterness and astringency of the bark very strongly. A few drops 

 of the tinctura florum martialium give it a very black colour, and occasion a 

 copious deposition of a black sediment. It does the same with the spirituous 

 tincture. With spirits it forms a beautiful red tincture. 



XXXV. An Observation of the Meteor of Aug. 18, J 783, on Hewit Common 

 near York. By N. Pigott, Esq. F. R. S. p. 457. 



August 18, about 10 o'clock p.m. after a hot day, the weather a little hazy, 

 but not so as to obliterate the stars, and no wind, being on horseback, in 

 company with 2 other gentlemen, on Hewit Common, about 3 miles from 

 York, my attention was attracted towards the w. n. w. by several faint flashes of 

 lightning, such as are often seen near the horizon, or which may be still better 

 compared to flashes of an aurora borealis. Soon after which I perceived some 

 luminous matter in motion, and collecting together from several directions, fig. 

 8, a, pi. 8, which immediately taking fire presented itself under the form of a 

 ball, of so vivid a brightness, that the whole horizon was illuminated, so that 

 the smallest object might have been seen on the ground. This ball, when 

 formed, began to move, with an easy sliding motion from w. n. w. towards the 

 s. s. e. It suggested the idea of a highly brilliant comet, emitting a train or 

 tail, but of a different colour from the ball itself, this last being of a most bril- 



