[l282] 
The firft Linaea Cloths marked with Letters and 
Names, IfeiittoD' P/o^inNov. 1(^84, beingthenone 
of the Secretaries to the J^yal Society^ in London, to 
whom he communicating my Letter, containing my 
firft obfervations, and alfolhewing the Linnen lo markt 
(at the fame time,) advifed me that it was fo acceptable 
to them, that they werepleafed to order him to return 
me their thanks 5 and that they had appointed fome 
Gent, to wait on his late Majejty with them s who (with 
divers Perlons of Honour to whom they were fhewnj* 
was much pleafed with the fight, and relation of the dif- 
covery, as new unto him. After which I wasdefired to 
lend up fome of the Shells with the Fifties alive in them ;? 
which could not be done any other way,then by fending 
them in lome Ship bound for London^in an open Earthen 
Pan/ renewing the ^y^^-water every day .-after which man- 
ner I have kept them near a fortnight,& longer I might, 
had I not made ufe of them ; for it feems to be a kind 
oi Amphibious Animal ^ alternately living in both Ele- 
ments every Tide : being out of their native place, and 
in want of fuch ViciflGtudes, they take this courfe to find 
the Air ; when any of them are put into a VeiTel of Sea- 
water, (for in frefti they foon expire,) after they have 
bin fome time on the bottom of the Veflel, they creep 
up to the fuperficies of the water^ and by extending a 
kind of Lipp, with their operculums, cling to the fide of 
the VefTel or Pan, (which is moft convenient for their af- 
eent,) with about half that part above the water, fome- 
times creeping down under it, and returning again to 
their ftation, between Wind and Water. This I defigned 
to accomplifli, and was contriving this way to gratify 
their defires ^ to the end his Majefly the great fatron and 
Founder of their Society, might have the pleafing di- 
verfion of feeing the experiment made in his l^yall pre-- 
fence 5 but a ftop was put to this defign by a Calamity 
too great and public to be mentioned. 
There 
