CORRESPONDENCE OE RAY. 93 



gratitude : and yet Mr. Tisher would esteem it an exceed- 

 ing great honour if he Would condesceuc! so much as to 

 instruct him in anything. I thought it convenient to let 

 you know that, although the account I gave you of draw- 

 ing spirit of wine out of vinegar was all that either you 

 or I received from Mr. Fisher, yet he tells me that it is 

 not the best way (and saith he told you as much), nor 

 the way that he useth ; which, for several reasons, he yet 

 keeps as a secret. He is busy at present about improv- 

 ing an experiment he hath lately made of turning the 

 whole substance of vinegar into an urinous spirit. He 

 let me see about half a pint that he had already done, 

 which, both for taste and smell, was like a middle sort of 

 spirit of hartshorn. He is endeavouring to turn the 

 whole substance of vinegar into spirit of wine, and saith 

 he hath hopes of good success. I should be very glad to 

 see you here in your return from Chester, 



December 18, —71. 



Sir Philip Skippon to Mr. Ray. 



Sir, — Some particulars I lately met with I shall here 

 insert. 



" The N . side of trees is distinguishable by quantity of 

 thick moss growing there." Lederer's Disc, of N. Ame- 

 rica, p. 24. 



In some of the late Transactions, viz. Nos. 71, 74, 

 76, are observables which I doubt not you have taken 

 notice of. 



" Specifica proprietate, manise resistere creditur Radix 

 nymph. Int. quse mense majo efFossa," &c. Sennertus. 



" Folia Buxi, et decoctum Anagallid. fio. purp. maniam 

 curant." Idem. 



In Mr. Boyle's last piece of the Usefulness of Natural 

 Philosophy, he tells you several ways to take the shape 

 of a leaf, which he recommends to travellers. In a little 



