178 Mr. Ray to Dr. Robiofon. 



yields Manna in Calabria, and yet not any where elfe 

 in Italy it felf. Thirdly, if it be the lefler, or com- 

 mon Maple, that is fuch a nice Tree, that few of the 

 Kind, and thofe only at fome critical Seafons, will 

 bleed with us 5 fo that it is a hard Matter to get any 

 Quantity of their Juice. For mine own part, there 

 are nor any of the greater Maph % or Sycomore-trees f 

 that I know of, growing nearer than half a Mile off 

 us, .fo that I cannot attend the gathering their Juice, 

 without the Experice of more Time than I can, or 

 am willing at prefent to fpare. The like I may fay 

 of Birches. We have indeed of JVallnuts fome grow- 

 ing near us, but I fufpecfc their fcrupulous Owners 

 would fcarce be willing I fhould pierpe them : So 

 that I doubt whether I fhall be able to make any 

 Trials of this Kind ; and I make no Queftion but 

 fome Members of the Royal Society may have more 

 Leifure and better Opportunities of making them 

 than my felf. My Thoughts are almoft wholly em- 

 ploy'd at prefent in the carrying on the Hiftory of 

 Plants; and I am like him, who faid PeSlora noftrd 

 duas non admiltentia curas. 



_ As for the Hiftory of Fifties, I doubt not but you 

 may add to it many Things by me omitted 5 thofe 

 Authors you mention having not been feen. by me. 

 Dr. Tyfon's Anatomy of the Phocana I dare fay is very 

 exact : But when I begun, that Hiftory was notpub- 

 lifhed, at leaf! I had no Knowledge of it, and fince 

 have negle£led to fend for it. I am fenfible that the 

 Hiftory of the Cetaceous Kind is far from perfect •> but 

 in my Circumftances it was not eafy for me to carry 

 it on any farther. There wants a Defcription of the 

 the Unicorn Fij% of which there are Figures of two 

 Kinds in the Hiftory of the Antilles written in French; 

 but I f!o not much confide in that Author. There is 

 a prolix Defcription of the Skeleton of the Head in 

 Wormius\ Muf&um, but too tedious for me to tranf- 

 <pribe. I am to feek for Defcriptions of many Species 



