The Digital Ark: Early Modern Collections of Curiosities in England and Scotland, 1580-1700
Johannes Kentmann (21 Apr 1518 - 14 Jun 1574)
German naturalist Authority - early modernReferences in Documents:
Hazle; and probably of the Coniferous kind.
Formerly
thought a Mineral; and by d)
d)
clatBitumen Odoratum. There are two sorts
hereof. One of
which is carried in Cakes and Balls, into
all Places, in great
abundance. The other of
Oak
Given by
In
Petrify'd Wood found an hundred and forty Pertches
un
der the top of a
Mountain. And by a)
a)
Nomenclat
sort of petrify'd Beech (as the
people call it) both Trunk,
Branches, and Leaves, taken (for
Whetstones) out of the
Ground in
the
Elns depth. But what
kind of Eln is here meant, is not
certain.
Of petrify'd Woods it may be noted, That none of
them (at least
of these here described) will make the least
Ebullition with any Acid. Which would make one sus
pect, That
they are Stones originally, sui generis; else it
were strange, That some of them
should not lie in places
where such Stones are bred, which with Acids
make the
said Ebullition.
i. e. Onyx Chalcedonius, as
not amiss. (d) d)
Nomencl
four inches long, and near as broad. Semiperspicuous,
al
most like to a piece of grey Ice. Consisting of white and
most perspicuous parts
so mixed together, as to look in some
sort like a Honey-Coome.
c) c)
NomenclOsteocolla. Yet obtains the peculiar Name of
ENOSTEOS:
being porous, light, spongy, and cylindrick; so as to look
just like the inward part of a Bone, or of Harts-Horn.
qu. Stalemnites.
Opa
cous, and of the colour of grey Horn. Pointed
at
both ends, as the Belemnites is at
one. And at one end,
sheweth six or seven shells one over
another, as in the
Stalactites above describ'd. From whence I
have
nam'd it.
Some of these being rub'd, take up Chaff or
other light
Bodies, as Amber doth.
b)
b)
Nomencl
Ash-colour, which being rub'd, smelt like a
burnt Cows
Horn. And a white one, which smelt not much unlike to
Ambar. They are found in
Parts, sometimes in Effervescence with Acids. Thus far of Stones simply Conick.
Kentman ,
Magnetis
Ammargyros, as I call it,
the
sparks in this being of a bright silver-colour.
d)
d)
Nomencl
Muscovy-Glass.
And 'tis plain,
That the said sparks are flaky, and flexible,
as that Stone:
and is therefore either the same broken to
small pieces, in
digging for it; or, at least, an assay of Na
ture
towards it. But surely no Metallick Body, as
supposeth it; unless he means, that 'tis sometimes found in
Metallick Mines.
a)
a)
Nomencl
Saponariam s. Fulloniam.
Hook
paler. But as soft as the Terra
Lemnia, and several other
Boles. And is therefore to be reckon'd
amongst them. Be
sides the common Tast of Boles, it hath a little Astringency.
Yet not alike perceived in all, for there is better and worse:
which Apothecaries will do well to observe.
a)
a) Earth near
exposed to the Aer.