88
May. 25. 1671. there was made a micro
scopicall observation of the pith of an Elder and of that of a quill to show
that such pith is nothing els but a congeries of Little bubbles or Bladders that seem to be seuerd from and to haue
haue noe c
omunication with the re
st of the plant. It being queryd how the pith groweth, it was thought worth
further Inquiry, whether there be any minuter pores in them than haue been yet Di
scouered. through which
any nouri
shment may pa
sse -- The Curator being asked what Obseruation he had lately made of the late
Eclip
se of

by the moon said he had mi
ssed of that Obseruation. The same acquainted the Society that he had
peru
sed m
r. Leibnitz theoria motus abstractj but was of opinion that he had not hit right [Li
sters Letter ab
t matrices in
sect husks &c.] this Gaue occa
sion to some of the company to Di
scour
se of the various excre
scencys
of Plants, conceiued by some to ari
se from flyes or other Insects ca
sting their seed vpon plants which sending vp iuice
to the plant thus flyblown did breed an intume
scence there which became a matrix to the seed to grow into a liue
ing creature of that kind of insect which had ca
st their seed there, which being come to maturity did eat its way out of
the matrix and fly away, whence the hole in tho
se excre
scencys -- The Curator promi
sed to shew the next
Day an instrument for measuring exactly all the way of a iourney, with all the Angules thereof.
Iune. 1. noe meeting. Iune. 8. Boyles V
sefulne
sse &c & chamberlains notitia anglis &c presented. --
The Curator produced an in
strument for surueying to be applyd to a chariott, wherby whateuer Line or angule shall be made by a
chariott thus fitted, shall be described vpon paper. He was orderd to get a chariott made and to apply this instrument to
it for the next meeting. -- the same mentiond that he had a way to shew the Seuerall quarters of the world, in a travelly
chariott, soe that whereuer you goe, you shall haue a hand standing always north & south. He was de
sired to pro
duce it before the Society. -- the Secretary mentiond that this being a proper time for making Obseruations
of the Needles variation, it was agreed vpon that on /satur/
monday next the President S
r. R Moray the Curator & such
other of the Society
of as pleasd would meet at S/r/. R Morays Chamber at Whitehall and take a good meridian by
the Sun in the forenoon & afternoon & by
the North starr in the Euening. the Curator was desired to haue the apparatus
ready for that time --- [mariotts manuscript of Leuelling approued.
Iune. 15. the Exp
t appointed the Last Day of trying the application of the new surveying instrument to wheels
was made with good succe
sse. And it was thought that if the whole apparatus nece
ssary for it be accurate, it
would answer the Di
signe. The Curator was de
sired to bring in a de
scription thereof in writing.
The Curator mentioning that he wanted Conueniences at gresham colledge to make Astronomicall Obseruations
it was Referrd to the Councill to consider of the Building of a turret there for that purpo
se.
The obseruation for taking an exact meridian by the north starr, was againe rec
omended to
the President. S
r R Moray & M
r Hooke. -- It was appointed that at the next meeting the curator should make
the Experiment,
to shew the various motion in the internall parts of Liquors
Iune. 22. The Exp
t. for shewing the internall motion of Liquors appointed the La
st day was made by putting some
Small peices of charcole into spirit of wine in an open gla
sse, which being viewd by a great micro
scope, ap
-peard to haue a very vehement Motion euery way, though to the naked eye there appeard none.
It was taken notice that this Exp
t. is to be made with Liquors that are not Di
ssoluents of the bodys swimming in them
Such as Sp
t. of Wine is in Reference to Coale. The curator sayd there was noe such motion in c
omon water or Vineger
and that he was of opinion that all spirituous liquors would Exhibit such a motion. The President moved that this
experiment might be tryd in a small gla
sse bubble seald vp to see
if whether the absence of the ambient air
had any influence of producing this effect or noe: as al
so that conuenient bodys should be putt into the spirit
and Left in it for sometime, to examine them till they were at re
st if they would be soe. It was ordered that
this should be done the next Day.
Iune. 30. the sp
t. of wine in the Exp
t. for shewing the internall motion of Liquors being hermetically seald vp
according to the order of the Last Day. was found by this exclu
sion of the air to haue noe such vehement motion
as it had before when exposd to the air but only the motion of grauity. [Siluius Letter & books] Society adiourn
Nouemb
r. 2. Redding & listor Electd. Hooke proposd Grew. Letters Borelljs from me
ssina of Etna. Redjs Ab
t. charras. Cassinjs fr
o Paris. D
r Pope
& m
r. Hooke to examine contents. 2 of Heuelius. Pope & Hooke to consider them. Of Fogelius fr
o Hamborough. of M
r Willouby. of M
r Li
ster about
"shells. some applauded his thoughts But M
r Hooke indeavourd to maintain his opinion of their being all of them the
"Exuviae of Animalls. D
r. Clarks incredible story of Cockle shells. -- Schroters strange metall. templers story of
the Liuers
of Eeles. Wallis 3
d part of mechanicks. S
r. R Southwells Ribbed bone. Hobbs Ro
setum geometric
u. Referd to D
r Pope & hook
Nouem. 9. The Curator produced a watch to shew a way of making a clock to goe twice as Long as before:
only by the contriuance of a Little peice of Wire added to an ordinary clock. The matter hauing bin
Debated the propo
ser was de
sired to put it into effect which he said he intended to doe in a clock of his that
went 18 monthes, which by this way he would make to goe 3 years with once winding vp. -
[wrays letter of the Porpe
sse. Hugens Letter of Saturn & of Pendulums at Sea. Fogelius letter of Solar Spotts
Schroters paper of Iewellers foyles.
Nouem. 16. Grew Elected. M
r. Hooke proposed a new way of Diuiding a small quadrant to make
Astrononicall Obseruations with as Di
stinctly as with farr greater ones, this he said was Demonstratiue
and promi
sed to bring in such a one at the next meeting, together with the Demonstration to be registred
Nov: 23. the Curator produced an instrum
t contriued by himself to shew the point of the compa
sse one travells in
he was de
sired to bring in the de
scription of it in writing. as al
so to indeauour to compound this w
th. that In
strument w
ch.
he produced formerly, whereby the way of a traueller may be traced upon a peice of Paper, that soe by one &
the same instrument, a traueller may make the map of a Country he travells through and withall know
what quarter of the world he goes to. -- the same produced a specimen of his new quadrant, which being
but of seaventeen inches shall perform the same with a quadrant of 24 feet. - Orderd that this quadrant
be fitted vp in all its parts, that the v
se of it may the Better appear. [m
r Boyle ab
t freezing]. menstr
u for Gla
sse
flamsted of occultati
o.] Lord Willoghbys present}.
Nou. 30 Electi
o Day. Dec: 7. Grews Anatomy of vegetables] cherubin & moutons books] Swammerdams Vteruo] -
M
r. Hooke produced the representation of the Arch of a Cupolo, for the susteining such and such Determinate
weights, and affirmed it to be a Cubical Parabolicall conoeid, adding that by this figure might be determined all the
Difficultys in architecture about arches & Butments. He was desired to bring in the Demonstration & Descripti
oof it in Writing; to be registred. [minerall of Blewstarch] S
r. D Hoskins promised to De
scribe
the Way] Malpighis letter of
nou. 1
s. 71. produced being an abstract of his Deigne of the anatomy of plant. M
r Winthrops curio
sity. -
Dec. 14. the Curator mentiond that he had prepared an Exp[t. to shew what degree of force will make air and
quicksiluer pa
sse through wood, but that something was broken in the carrying, which obleiged him to Deferr this Exper
tto the next meeting. He produced 3 seuerall new contriuances of Cyder pre
sses, with ea
se & Expedition both to break
& squeez the apples & pears. one was with 2 pinions turning vpon
each /one an/ other. The other he Represented in a Crooked
Line hauing a kind of a milbox and a Roller at the Bottom and by its motion breaking Squeezing and throwing out
the fruite. The 3
d was w
th 4 Cylinders turning one another, the apples coming between on two sides and going out on
the two Cro
sse sides.
Ref: CELL/RS/HF_090 © Centre for Editing Lives and Letters