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the air as a menstruu. 5. a microscopicall obseruatio of Mosse seed. 6. a Representation of the manner how
the planets may moue from a naturall cause in an Ellipse by Mr Hooke. who was orderd to prosecute the Expt
The same was orderd to prepare against next Day the Long pendulum with great weights formerly appointed to . . try
how Long they will goe even together. As also one of the two new Engines for Grinding Ellipticall & Hyperbolicall gl.
Iuly. 8. 69 . [Blooms petitio referred to Dr Goddard Mr Colwall & mr Hook.] the Expt. of Representing the manner of the planets
Elliptick motion was again Made and orderd to be further prosecuted the next meeting [a letter of Mr Willouby abt. motion &
about tree sap] mr. Hooke acquainted the Company that Looking over some of the things belonging to the Societys Re
pository, he met with such a hand as Mor. Le Febre once produced before the Society saying it was giuen him for the
hand of a Maremaid, but that this hand was a part of a Sea Leopard. and altogether like that of Le Feures. ------
Mr Hooke proposed an Expt. about the strength of twisted cords compared with untwisted ones to be tryed at the next
meeting, together wth. those others that should haue been made this Day. -
July. 15. 69. -- The curator made an Expt. of Comparing together the strength of twisted & vntwisted Silk
and it appeared by the seuerall tryalls made of it, that a certain number of threeds vntwisted proued stronger than soe
many twisted. whence the Curator concluded that Cables made faggot wise would be stronger then now they are
twisted. to which it was Obiected Cables would not then be soe managable. and that Certainly People had not
been wanting to make tryalls of this Nature, but had doubtless found that all things compared, the inconveni
-ence would proue greater in the use of Untwisted than twisted threeds. Here it was intimated by Mr. Hooke that the
belief of the strength of twisted threeds aboue untwisted, had doubtlesse proceeded from tryalls made vpon flax which -
hauing but short peices, did therefore not hold soe well vntwisted as twisted. Sr R Moray suggested &c. --- there was pro
duced the instrument of taking an angule between two obiects soe as to see one of them immediatly by the Eye
the other by Reflection. . . . . there was also produced mr Townlys instrument for Diuiding a degree into may thousand parts
The Curator promised to haue the next day Ready one of his new kind of watches that shall goe 14 monthes, which he first
produced & Described may the 6. 1669. [a Report about Bloom]. --- Mr. Hooke intimated that he was Ob-
seruing in Gresham Colledge, the Parallax of the Earths Orb, and hoped to giue a good account of it.
Iuly. 22. 69. the meetings adiourned to Octob. 21. next. -- Ordered that the Curator during this intervall should make
such Expts. in priuate as were in the former meetings comitted to his care and left hitherto vnperformed as also
that such others of the Society as had convenience to make any Obseruations & Expts. of a philosophical Nature
should be desired to be mindfull of Doing what they could in this interim against the instauratio of their assemblys.
Octob: 21. There was produced by the Curator a peice of stuff strained by a way of his own contriuance, which he said
he hoped to perfect and to make it Serue for staining whole suites of hanging. The Society encouraged him to
pursue this Experiment. [quere the Portuguese manuscrip deliuerd to Oldenburg] Mr Hooke to Catalogue Willisells ^ /collections/
The Bishop of chester acquainted the Society that his Maj. had Expresst a Desire of hauing Determined the Measure
of a Degree vpon the Earth, and did expect the assistance of this Society in it. Orderd herevpon. That the Prest.
the Ld BP. of Salisbury, the Ld Bp. of chester, S R Moray. S P Neile D Wallis D. Ch. Wren D Godderd & M Hooke or any 3 or more
of them, be a comitte to consider of a Way of Determining the measure of a Degree vpon the Earth, and that they meet
for that purpose at the house of the Prest. in Couen-garden on munday next about 5 of the clock in the Evening
and make a Report to the Society, when they shall haue concluded any thing in this matter. The Curator
was also Desired to peruse what Ricciolj hath written and Performed in this Particular, and to giue an accout
thereof to the said comitte at their first meeting. This Day mr. Oldenb: deliuerd to mr. Hooke the Books & seeds mentio
in the notes of May. 20. as also an Exemplar of Malpighi's dissertatio de Bombyce.
Oct. 28. The Curator produced a new kind of Pendulum Clock, pretended to keep time more exactly then others for As-
tronomicall Obseruations, soe contriued that the swing in this clock being 14 foot Long and hauing a weight of 3 pounds
hanging to it, is moued by a very small force as that of a poket watch, the string making its whole vibration
not aboue a Degree and going 70. weekes. It being obiected that any concussion was like to Disorder or Stop
it, the Author was of opinion that it would not. he was orderd to try it in Astronomicall Obseruations, and giue
the Society an account of its successe. --- The same brought in again a peice of stained Flannell, as ac
counted the most Difficult Stuff to stain, and again Declared the hopes he had of staining whole peices of han
gins after this manner, euen in vivid colours he was desired to proceed in it. [Vz Gottingnies microscope magnifying
in Diameter 350 times. and Seeing an area of 3 foot] also a belt in discouered] Mr Hook affirmed that such a belt had been
obserued by Mr Ball in England about 3 years agoe, and that he had a Letter of his making mention thereof.
It being mentiond that it was orderd about 3 monthes since that Dr. Wrens engine for Grinding the hyperbolicall glasses
and that of Mr. Hook: for Ellipticall ones should be prepared for making tryalls of them, and it being found that
neither of them was done, the company Renewed that order to the curator for doing it with all convenient speed
The order of the Last Day appointing a comitte for considering of a Way to Determine the quantity of a Degree upon
the Earth, being Renewed and those of the Company that might since have had thoughts of it, being Desired to speak to
it. Mr. Hooke was of opinion, that one of the exactest ways of performing it might be by making an accurate
observations of the heauens to a 2d. by a perpendicular tube, and then to take exact Distances by angules to
a Seconds also. -- Some microscopicall Expts. were promisd by the Curator for the next meeting & the Prosecution of the Expt
of staining.
Nou: 4, 69. The Curator proposed a way of Diuiding a degree into very many Minute parts, which he conceiued to be ^
much more easy, then that by a Screw or slyding Ruler or any other know to him, It consists in proportioning a short
Line (which is to be diuided into many Small parts) to a Long Line. This being Examined and the application ^ /of it/ to practise
for taking measures both in the heauens & vpon the Earth, debated, it was thought proper to be used in the Expert.
f of measuring a Degree vpon the Earth, recomended by his Majty. to the consideratio of the Society. And the Cura
tor was orderd to make the Apparatus necessary for that work ready with all Conuenient Speed. -- [Mor Hugens
Lettr about the sucesse of Pendul clocks at Sea] glasse plates fro Lambeth sent him] the Curator being calld vpon concerning
the inuentory of Willisells collection said he was gon a good time in it and would dispatch the rest soe soon as he could. the same
was ordered to bring in the next Day, the microscopicall obseruations promisd this Day & to prosecute staining &c. --
Nou: 11. Dr Vrban Hiern proposd. Mr Hooke produced a peice of Callico stained after the Way contriued by himself, which
he was Desired to prosecute in other colours besides those that appeard in this peice. The same produced Diuers -
Capilary plants supposed to haue noe seed, on which not with standing he found Little Cases or boxes which being -
opened & put into a good microscope were found to haue seed. [D Eccard Leichners book] The curator was put in mind
of the measuring a degree vpon the earth, and to make ready the apparatus for it as also to produce next Day something tht
might shew a further progresse in the Expt of staining stuffs.
No: 18. The Curator produced an instrument of his own contriuance to measure the quantity of refractions. The Expts. made therein
were orderd to be repeated next Day. [the way of making vinager] D[r Castles petryfyd wood Stiernhelms Mathematicks.

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