Ancient Catalogue of Objects of Natural History. 283 



It is scarcely necessary to remark that the frequent citations of 

 gold, silver, mercury and tin, are generally erroneous. 



We have preserved the signs of the metals and have not altered 

 the orthography or phraseology, wishing them to tell faithfully 

 of the times from which they have come.* 



Explanation of characters in the MS. 



O Gold. J) Silver. ^ Mercury. 9 Copper. 



^ Iron. ^ Tin. ^2 Lead. c. containing. 



Extracted from the Journal Book of the Royal Society, Vol. XV, 

 p. 451 to 487. June 27, 1734. 



Mr. Winthrop presented several curiosities from New England, 

 as contained in the following list, which being read he had the 

 thanks of the Society. These curiosities are a part of a large col- 

 lection shewn at several meetings during the subsequent winter, 

 and the whole catalogue to which these numbers refer, is entered 

 after the minutes of the day. 



Quadrupeds. 



1. Omitted. 



Serpents. 



2. Fel Serpentio caudisoni. Four grains for a dose, cure all sorts of 

 fevers and agues, taken in a spoonful of spring water. The gall liquid 

 is preserved for use, by dropping it on the fine powder of chalk. 



Fish. 



3. The fins of the dog-fish of the size of a dog, with four short legs, 

 and the tail like a fish. 'Tis a sort of seal. 



4. Stones out of the head of a codfish ; which powdered are given 

 for the strangury and gravel. 



Shells. 



7. A sort of Nerites, which never grow larger. The hadians boil 

 them and make strengthening broth of them. 



9. A larger sort of Nerites ; one with very small Balani growing 

 upon it. 



14. Buccinum nostro productione, with a chain of their ovaries, 

 which are sometimes twenty or thirty yards long. 



* The Nos. which are omitted are all given in the manuscript, but the entries 

 are so entirely unimportant that we have stricken them out, as we found that by 

 retaining them we should swell the article to an inconvenient length ; they are 

 ;-of this description, e. g. — " No. 12. Small Buccina," and the like. — Eds. 



