CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 53 



merly sent me, I am confidently persuaded it is the 

 Milvus ceruginosus, Aldrov,* As for the authors who 

 have written of minerals and fossils, I have not been so 

 conversant in that part, of learning as to be able to give 

 any judgment concerning them. Georgius Agricola, Be re 

 Metallica et re Naturd Fossilium, is of all men approved, 

 though I must confess myself never to have read him ; 

 and I suppose Lazarus Erker, a German, is a good writer 

 on that subject. I have run over Kircher's ' Mundus 

 Subterraneus,' though I must needs say I was not much 

 improved by it ; yet some use may be made of it. Some 

 help it hath been to me to have seen various collections 

 of minerals with their several titles in cabinets beyond 

 the seas. I am not so cunning as to tell, or give any 

 probable guess, what those plants should be whose juices 

 you sent ; indeed I do not pretend to a critical palate, 

 but I must desire to be informed by you. Of your table 

 of spiders I shall at present add nothing : I doubt not 

 but it will be of great use to me when I shall have leisure 

 to prosecute that inquiry. Since I received my Catalogue 

 from your hands, I have procured some considerable ex- 

 periments and observations, medical, from Dr. Needham 

 and some other ingenious physicians of my acquaintance, 

 so that I have not yet sent it to be printed. 

 Middleton, Feb. 13, 1669. 



Mr. LiSTEK, at Craven, to Mr. Wkay at Middleton Hall. 



My dear Sir, — I have been adding this last year's 

 notes to the former, and I have found enough to cause 

 me to make considerable alterations and amendments 

 everywhere, and especially in the table (of spiders) I sent 

 you J so that I could wish it in my hands again, and, if 

 you think it worth the Avhile, another of yours in exchange. 

 1 am sorry that your Catalogue is not yet in the press ; 



* [See Note, page 50.] 



