347

Ian. the 2d. 1678/9.

Sr. Chistopher Wren the vice Pret. tooke the chair -

Dr. Grew Read a Letter to him from Christianus Mentzelius
consil: & Archiat: Brandenb: Dated from Berlin the Last of Iuly 1678-
Expressing hs kind acceptance of the profer that had been made
him of holding correspondence wth the secretary of this society
and his great Desire of continuing it as he formerly begun it
wth. mr. Oldenburg and more especially concerning such inquisition,
as he had wth. great Delight been much exercised about, the
concerning /to wit of/ the ^ /nature/ qualitys & species of vegetables. In the post -
script of wch. he makes mention of the 8th. year of the German Ephe
medides of the ^ /German/ Curiosi. wherein a Dr. Grews Anatomy of vegetables is
translated. As also that Iacobus Breynius Dantiscanus had this
year published Centuria Plantarum Rariorum praesertim ex pro
montorio capitis Bonae spei Desumptorum cum effigijs aneis summa
arte ad viuum incisis in folo./

The same also read a 2d. Letter to him from E Leichner. contein
ing, an inquiry after some things he had formerly sent & had Receiud
noe answer, and also a printed half sheet intituled D. E.Leiknerj
excerpta Diatyposis tractatus de Physico-medica Analysi, in duos
Distincti Libros. whereby he hopeth that /naturall/ Philosophy & physick
may obteine its vtmost felicity - Dated from Erfurt the
15 of nouember 1678. -

The minutes of the 19th. of December were read, where vpon
the mention of the wheat that mention of the Barly that
produced such great increase. mr Henshaw obserued that
There was a Triticum multiplex first brought from Persia
which would yeald 2000 for 1. This was secunded by Sr.
Iohn Hoskins who obserued that it would doe the same in
any other place ^ /he hauing found it vpon tryall to succeed here he further noted/ that the stalk of it was not hollow -
like other wheat But solid. It was much preyd on by birds
vpon the mention of Pearles mr. Henshaw obserued that
the same were often found in fresh water as well as in
salt, namely in a sort of Hors muscles found in Riuers.
vpon a Discourse about sand Gold. Sr. Chr: wren obserued that the
figure thereof for the most part was . . . /shaped/ like talk or
salts of Regular flat sides & angules, and that it was seldome
found like small particles of a melted mettall. that he had seen baggs
[of] these sands the most part of wch. was thus shaped & yet very pure gold.

Ref: CELL/RS/HF_349  © Centre for Editing Lives and Letters