366 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
The Great Plague of London occurred in 1664, and put an end 
to all social and other assemblages during its continuance. To 
his honour be it told that when the metropolis was well-nigh 
abandoned owing to this scourge, Pepys remained at his post, 
observing in a letter to Sir William Coventry, “The sickness in 
general thickens around us. You, sir, took your turn at the sword ; 
I must not, therefore, grudge to take mine at the pestilence.” * 
On January 22nd, 1665-6, was held— 
“The first meeting of Gresham College since the Plague. What among 
other fine discourse pleased me most, was Sir G. Ent} about Respiration ; 
that it is not to this day known, or concluded on among physicians, nor 
to be done either, how the action is managed by Nature, or for what use 
it is."—Vol. ii., p. 357. 
Nothing appears, at this date, on the subject of the discourse 
here alluded to, or in regard to the following, in the ‘ Philosophical 
Transactions’: they may consequently have been papers read 
before the College, and not before the Royal Society :— 
Feb. 21, 1665-6. “ With my.Lord Brouncker to Gresham College, the 
first time after the sickness that I was there, and the second time any 
met. And here a good lecture of Mr. Hooke’s about the trade of felt- 
making, very pretty.”"—Vol. i1., p. 367. 
Pepys associates now with men of scientific character, and with 
them holds much “ sweet converse.” On August 8th, 1666, he— 
“ Discoursed with Mr. Hooke about the nature of sounds, and he did 
make me understand the nature of musicall sounds made by strings, 
mighty prettily: and told me that having come to a certain number of 
vibrations proper to make any tone, he is able to tell how many strokes 
a fly makes with her wings (those flies that hum in their flying) by 
the note that it answers to in musique, during their flying. ‘That, 
I suppose, is a little too much refined; but his discourse in general of 
sound was mighty fine.”—Vol. iii., p. 3. 
We wonder what Prof. Tyndall or Lord Rayleigh would have to 
say to these conclusions. The next “experiment,” if made at the 
present time, would assuredly have subjected all concerned to 
much objurgation at the hands of the Anui-Vivisection clique. If 
the operation termed “transfusion of blood” is but little resorted 
to now-a-days, and has not altogether fulfilled the expectations 
* Weld, ‘ History of the Royal Soviety,’ vol. i., p. 296. 
+ Sir George Ent, F.R.S.. was President of the College of Physicians. 
