THEThe Skin of a Rattle-Snake, checquer'd, brown and Ash coloured, four Foot within two Inches long, tho' the Rattle, if entire, is but of six Joints. Don. D. Tho. Wilson Merc. Leod. Another curiously variegated, but without Rattle, and two Inches shorter. Don. D. Sar. Wainwright. Amongst the Curiosities sent me by Mr. Molineux, there is one larger than either; and whereas an ingenious Author saith, they seldom exceed a Yard and Quarter, this is a Yard and half in length; the Rattle consists of ten Cells. Here is a Rattle of four only; and another of eight that was brought from Pensylvania. Don. Aar. Atkinson, Leod.

Several Spikes, or Heads of Mayz or Indian Wheat, most are about a Span long, and consist of 8 Rows, in each of which are usually above 30 Grains (i)(i) Id. N° 142. by Governour Winthorp. : But here is one that hath 47 in a Row yet remaining, but by the Sockets it appears to have had above 50. In the Northern Parts they have a peculiar Kind called Mohauks Corn that is less. Here is one that I take to be of this Sort, which, tho' at its full Growth is but half the Bigness of the former, yet hath it twelve Rows, and in each of them 32 Grains. The most usual Colours of Mayz are white or yellow; but there are also of Red, Blue, Olive, Greenish, Black, Speckled and Striped; most of which Colours I have in one single Ear, they are therefore only Varieties, not distinct Sorts. Mr. Will. Tolson gave me one that he raised at Leedes, of Seed that he brought from those Parts of the World: In this the Beard is visible, which is not in those that are full grown. It is said to grow six or eight Foot in Height, but my Friend brought me one from Pensylvania that is 12 or 13 Foot long, with a Sort of Flowry Excrescence or Particle at the Top; it is jointed like a Sugar Cane. Don. Aar. Atkinson.

Nicotiana major Latifolia, Tobacco, a Branch of it, the Leaves and Stem as it grows. Don. A. Atkinson. From the West-Indies it was propagated to the East-Indies, and in all Places hath very much betwitched the Inhabitants from the more polite Europeans to the barbarous Hottentots (o)(o) Id. Nat. Hist. of Jamaica. p. 146.. It was brought into England by Sir Francis Drake, An. 1586. the Portuguese call it Herba Santa, because it is a Counter-Poison. The Seed of Tobacco, bright brown, and extreamly small; it is mixed with five Times as much Ashes when it is sown. Here are also Samples both of the Hyoscyamus Peruanus, and of the English Tobacco. Yorkshire Hemlock, eleven Foot high, though heedlesly cut down at a Distance from the Root. Also Mallows full three Inches broad from the same Place. Don. D. Tho. Rayner de Brotherton.

In the same Tour I observed a Sort of black Marble, the Product of the same County; of which I saw several Gravestones at Leicester, and seems capable of Improvement: Of this I have a Specimen, and of the Sussex Marble, which abounds with white turbinated Shells, and is therefore called Marmor Turbinites, by Dr. Cay who sent it me. Of the Florentine Marble adorned with Trees, see before. Here is a Murrey coloured Marble with white Specks, very beautiful and well polished. Also the Kilkenny Marble from Ireland; it is black with whitish Clouds. This with a Sample of the black Irish Slate, was sent me by Mrs. Marshal of Dublin. A different black Marble, with less white, by Sam. Molineux Esq;. Another Sort from Bolton in Craven, of which I have seen a Chimney-piece at the Lord Fairfax's at Denton, that looks very well. Two Samples of Darbyshire Marble (Don. Jo. Battie Arm.) one pale Red, with white Veins; the other curiously variegated with black, white and sad Colour, in which is the Figure of a Pyramid, &c. Of which Sort is a very curious Chimney-Piece at Alderman Atkinson's in this Town. A Marble Table with the exact Figure of the Belemnites upon it.

It remains that I make a grateful mention of such of our learned and wor­thy Friends, as have given us any considerable information or assistance; as well to do them right, as to acquaint the Reader whom we mean by some names recorded in this Work. Those were Sir Thomas Brown of Norwich before remembred: Francis Jessop Esq of Broom-hall in Sheffield Parish, Yorkshire, who sent us the Descriptions and Cases of many rare Birds, and discovered and gave us notice of many Species thereabout, which we knew not before to be native of England: Sir Philip Skippon of Wrentham near Bliborough in the County of Suffolk, Knight, who communicated the Pictures of several Birds we wanted: And Mr. Ralph Johnson of Brignal near Greta Bridge in Yorkshire, a Person of singular skill in Zoology, especially the History of Birds, who besides the Descriptions and Pictures of divers uncommon, and some undescribed both Land and Water-fowl, communicated to us his Method of Birds, whereby we were in some particulars informed, in many others confirmed, his judgment concurring with ours in the divisions and Characteristic notes of the Genera.