“ It being the Design of the R. Society, for the better attaining the End of their Institution, to study Nature rather than Books, and from the Observations, made of the Phænomena and Effects she presents, to compose such a History of Her, as may hereafter serve to build a Solid and Useful Philosophy upon; They have from time to time given order to several of their Members to draw up both Inquiries of things Observable in forrain Countries, and Directions for the Particulars, they desire chiefly to be informed about. ”

“ For as Kepler did before conjecture, from the motion of the Primitive Planets about the Sun as their Center, that the Sun moved about its own Axis, but could not prove it, till by Galileo and Shiner the Spots in the Sun were discovered; so it hath been thought reasonable, from the Secundary Planets moving about Jupiter, that Jupiter is also moved about his Axis ”

“ Giving them common-salt immediately after they had drunk, they dyed not so soon; giving them vineger, they dyed not at all, but seven or eight days after were troubled with the Pipp. Those that dyed, being open'd, their Lungs were found quite shrivelled together. Yet some men, that are troubled with Worms, taking a litle quantity of it, and diluting it in common water, have been observed by this means to kill the Worms in their bellies, so that a great number of worms come from them ”

“ We received lately news from Rome, from a very Curious Person of our acquaintance, importing, that Campani hath had the advantage of Divini. The Great Duke of Toskany, and Prince Leopold, his Brother, upon Tryal, made of both their Glasses, have found those of Campani excel the other, and with them they have been able, easily to distinguish people at 4 Leagues distance: Of which I intend you more particulars hereafter. ”

“ In this Diocess of Paderborn, about 2 leagues from that Town, is a treble Spring call'd Metborn, which has three streams, two wherof are not above one foot and and a half distant from one another, and yet of so differing qualities, that whereas one of them is limpid, blewish, lukewarm, bubling, and holding Sal-armoniack, Ochra, Iron, Vitriol, Allum, Sulphur, Niter, Orpiment, used against Epilepsies bad Spleens, and the Wormes ”

“ The Hogs of that Country loving these Eggs, devour also great quantities of them, and thereby help to purge the Land of them; which is often so molested by this Vermine, that they enter into their Houses and Beds, fall upon their Tables and into their Meat, insomuch that they can hardly eat without taking down some of them ”

“ The like Plague is said to happen frequently in the Country of the Cosacks or Ukrani, where in dry Summers they are infested with such swarms of Locusts, driven thither by an East, or Soutb-East Wind, that they darken the Air in the fairest weather, and devour all the Corn of that Country; laying their Eggs in Autumn, and then dying ”

“ In Alsatia in the Valley, called Leberthal, near Geesbach (an ancient Mine-work) there runs out of a Cavern a foul, fattish, oily Liquor, which, though the Country-men of that place employ to the vile use of greasing their Wheels ”

“ He adds, that about two years since, there stranded upon the Coast of New-England a dead Whale, of that sort, which they call Trumpo, having Teeth resembling those of a Mill, and its mouth at a good distance from, and under the Nose or Trunk, and several boxes or partitions in the Nose, like those of the Tailes in Lobsters; and that that being open'd there run out of it a thin oily substance, which would candy in time ”

“ An Observation touching the Bodies of Snakes and Vipers. Several have taken notice, that there is a difference between the brooding of Snakes and Vipers, those laying their Eggs in Dung-hills, by whose warmth they are hatched; but these (Vipers) brooding their Eggs within their Bellies, and bringing forth live Vipers. To which may he added, That some affirm to have seen Snakes lye upon their Eggs, as Hens sit upon theirs. ”

“ Inwardly they take it with Succory-water against all corruptions of the Lungs. It is a kind of Petroleum, and contains no other Mineral Juice, but that of Sulphur, which seems to be thus distilled by Nature under ground; the distillation of an Oyl out of Sulphur by Art, being not so easie to perform.
Of the richest Salt-Springs in Germany. ”