Dr. Lifter to Mr. Ray. 93 



did after find to be the Air only 5 the Pofture I held 

 them in, that hinder'd their bleeding : For if I cut a 

 Twig with my Pen-knife, and held it up a while, 

 and then perpendicularly, it would not bleed j yet if 

 it were then topped, it would, in fome time, fhew 

 Moifture, yet not always j but the Bough from 

 whence it was taken did conftantly bleed, and that 

 immediately, in cafe it was at a Bleeding Time. And 

 here I multobferve to you one Circumftance, that 

 the Trees I wounded at Nottingham did bleed from 

 the fame Wounds f Months together 5 but then 

 thefe Wounds were next a Brick Wall, and not ex- 

 pqfed to the Air: On the contrary, the Trees I 

 wounded here the Beginning of November have ne- 

 ver bled from thofe Wounds then made, but from 

 frefh ones many times : And this Negle£fc in not ma- 

 king new Wounds certainly was the Reafon of the 

 Difference, or not bleeding of thefe Tork-Frees, when 

 yours did in Autumn. 



Feb. 21. I made many Experiments upon Trees, by 

 bringing them to the Fire-fide, and did difcover many 

 Phenomena, of which you will have an Account from 

 Mr. Oldenburgh. I. made them in order to fome 

 Queries I fent him formerly, and efpecially while 

 Saps may not be found at all Seafons of the Year, in 

 a much like Quantity and Confidence, part of 



a Plant, &c. 



The Place in Ariflotle is Hift. Anim. lib. 9. c. 39. 

 Aranei fiatim cum editi funt^fila mittunt^ non intrinfecus 

 tanquam excrementum^ ut Democritus ait^ fed extrin- 

 fecus de fuo corpore veluti corticem^ aut more eorum quce 

 fuos villos ejaculantur^ ut Hyftrices. Concerning 

 which Paflage, I pray fee Redi^ p. 170, and give me 

 your Opinion how you underiland the Greek Text : 

 This Interpretation is Gaza's. I will alfo tranfcribe 

 for you Pliny upon the Place, lib. 11. c. 24. Orditur 

 telasj tantiq-y operis materia uterus ipjius fufficit ; five- 

 ita corrupta alvi natura fiato tempore (ut Democrito 



placet }) 



