78 CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 



Dr. Lister to Mr. Ray. 



Dear Sir, — Looking over my boxes of insects, I find 

 a row of about a dozen of these bees, and some cases 

 out of which they were hatched. These I find all pierced 

 at the sides; and for the bees themselves, they differ 

 much in bigness, as though that was not true, that insects 

 of this kind are at their full growth when born ; but it 

 may well be, according to your observation, that these 

 boisterous and hasty elder brothers dwarf the yoimger 

 by spoiling their food. 



I do not say that I ever found cases of other leaves 

 than roses, but I have found leaves of many other trees 

 bit out by them, as willow, thorn, and especially a hlac 

 tree, at the upper end of St. John's Walks, had scarce a 

 whole leaf in it ; and some of those leaves, too, were well 

 husbanded, as having two or three side pieces, and as 

 many round bits, taken off of them. This I showed to 

 many of our fellows, who may well remember it, as Mr. 

 Gower, &c. And I know I have yet some of those pipe- 

 tree leaves in some of my books, which are yet most of 

 them at Cambridge. 1 sometimes use my notes and 

 sometimes I trust to my memory, when I write to you 

 according to leism^e, which may well cause some differ- 

 ence in circumstances, but I assure you I am as circum- 

 spect and careful not to impose upon myself and others 

 as I can, and you have well lessoned me to this purpose ; 

 and, amongst other things, I am extremely obliged to 

 you for it. 



As for the forking of spider threads, far be it from me 

 that I should slight any phenomenon of nature, for I am 

 the gladdest man that can be to hear of any ; but I am 

 very cautious not too forwardly to entertain such upon 

 trust ; neither would I have any man take them from me 

 otherwise than as they themselves shall find them. And 

 this is a thing that I neither formerly, nor since, have 

 been able to observe ; but if it shall be found to be done 



