Mr. Ray to Dr. Robinfori. ipj 



JVepfefs Philofophy concerning poifonous plants 

 may be pofllbly true, but it deferves farther Confide- 

 Nation. Paucd refpicientes falfa pronunciant. 



I better approve your Conjecture concerning the 

 Exudation of the Manna : For I do not obferve any 

 kind of Gum j or Rejin^ or concrete Juice^ to iftue out 

 of any Tree or Herb, but at fome Incifion, or Wound^ . 

 torRiftj or Contufion j and therefore it's likely enough 

 that the Manna may iflue out of the Veflels contain- 

 ing the Specifick Juice of the Tree perforated^ by 

 fome Infe£l : Your other Conjecture alfo concerning 

 the Itlfed preparing & Kind of Manna^ is not impro* 

 bable. 



ttr Hans Sloane to Mr* Ray. 



S IRj Londm, Nov. 10. t68f* 



1 Wrote a pretty while ago to you about the ffokkef* 

 don Earth - y which, becaufe I fear it mifcarried^ 

 1 now repeat, defiring your Opinion of it. . 



Not far from Moorfields; near the new Square In 

 Hockefdon$ fome Workmen digging a Cellar for a 

 new Houfe in the End of a Garden; when they were 

 about 3 Foot below the Surface of the Ground, found 

 a very ftrong Smell in the one half thereof. Faffing 

 that Wkf$ and finding it very furprizing, Md a thing 

 that I had neither heard of, nor feeii before, I thought 

 it worth farther Enquiry. 



The Workmen having dug a Pit aboiit 6 Foot 

 deep, at about ^ Yards Diftance from that Efrd of 

 the Cellar which fmelt fo ftrong^ I there found three 

 feveral Layers of Earth one over another, atf of them^ 

 more or lefs, having the fame Scent* The upper- 

 inoft Stratum was Ciayv or, as the Workmen call it, 

 Loom ; It did not fmeil till 3 Foot, deep * but then 



C c wan 



