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May 22. Cloudy morning, fair afternoon, with Scud Cumulus and Cumulostratus. 23. Various clouds in different heights. 24. Clouded sky with a little rain, a wavy, and in some places mottled, appearance of the cloudy mass. Small rain; fair evening. 26. Fine warm morning, Cirrus, &c. a sort of flying haze of a brownish colour here and there appeared in the afternoon. Fine warm day and various clouds. 28. Clouds in two strata, some rain, fine sunset. 29. All the modifications appeared, and were followed by showers. 30. Some Cirri early, afternoon all the clouds were compact but rocky Cumuli. 31. Clouds in two strata, cloudy and rather windy by night.

25.

27.

Jung 1. Small rain A. M. sun and clouds P. M. 2. Clear early, then various clouds. 3. Some small rain followed by fair afternoon, with Cirrocumulus, &c. 4. Fair, Cumuli, &c. 5. Cumuli in the day, which was fine, evening Cirri. 6. Cumuli in the day, fine clear evening with Cirri. 7. Clouds early, fine clear dry day. 8. Chiefly cloudy and cool. 9. Cloudy morning, fair day with Cumuli and some Cirri, evening Nimbi, no rain fell here, the Nimbi passing over from N. W. 10. Sun and clouds, cloudy evening. 11. Cirri and Cumuli, Cirrostratus in evening. By sunset the clouds were highly coloured with a crimson tint. 12. Cloudy morning, evening Cirrostratus. 13. Fine very early, with Cirrocumulus, &c. a mist came on soon after sunrise, followed by clouds, fine evening. 14. Cirrus, Cirrocumulus, and Cumuli, prevailed all revailed day, with some Cirrostratus, &c. 15. Fair with various clouds like yesterday. 16. Hard showers before light plumose Cirri, Cumulostratus, &c. in the day. 17. Rainy feature of the Cirrus *, &c. followed by showers. 18. Fair very early, cloudy day, rainy evening. 19. Wind and rain. 20. Showery day, the Barometer rose in the night. 21. Showery like yesterday.

P. S. I have observed that rain, accompained by a rising Barometer, is generally healthy, and is followed by increased temperature. Can these circumstances be attributed to its being electrified positively, as I have once or twice had reason to believe it to be? THOMAS FORSTER.

Clapton, June 22, 1812.

* In rainy weather the Cirrus is seldom so fibrous, nor the Cirrocumulus into which it may change so well defined, as when the air is dry.

Mr.

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TH

is of Chester

le-Street Church, in the county of Durham; (see Plate I.)-It is a handsome stone edifice, with a nave, chancel, side ailes, and tower; the base of the latter is of a square form, but above the roof of the church it assumes an octagonal shape, apparently more modern; and is terminated by a very elegant stone spire, one of the finest in the North of England; the entire height is 156 feet. The interior is neat, and well preserved; it contains a singular arrangement of monuments, with effigies of the deceased ancestry of the noble family of Lumley from a very early period of which a particular description is inserted in Hutchinson's Durham, vol. II. p. 392.

S. 2.

Notices and Anecdotes of LITERATI, COLLECTORS, &c. from a MS. by the late MENDES DE COSTA, and collected between 1747 and 1788. (Concladed from page 207.)

40. John Fothergill, M. D. a learned and good man, a Quaker, died 26 Dec. 1780, about 4 in the morning, of an ulcer in his bladder, in his 69th year. His library and paintings were sold in 1781 in York-street, Coventgarden. His house and choice botanic garden of rare plants were sold in the same year. His collection of shells and animals were sold (as by his will, on a valuation and deduction thereon,) by Mr. George Humphrey on his part, and Dr. Fordyce on the other side (valued at 15007. deduction 500/.) to Dr. William Hunter. His collection of fossils, &c. (see my letter to Dr. Cuming, 13th February 1783.) 41. Martin Folkes, esq. Pres. R. S. His fine library produced 30907.16s. There is a very fine (and excellent) print of him as in the President's chair at the Royal Society.

42. Smart Lethieullier, esq. F.R.S. had a fine collection of fossils, chiefly figured, and marbles.

43. Charles Lyttelton, D. D. afterward Bishop of Carlisle.. 44. Richard Pococke, D. D. afterward Bishop of Ossory.

45. Thomas Shaw, D. D. Shaw in his Travels, after the appendix to catalogue of African Fossils, makes a GENT. MAG. June, 1812.

complaint against Dr. Woodward's executors, in relation to several curious things he sent to Woodward when on his travels.

46. Mr. Jacob Neilson died on Saturday night, July 4, 1785, at Vauxhall. He dropped down in an apoplectic fit, and expired immediately. He was a performer on the kettledrum at that place, and had belonged to the band at Vauxhall fifty years. He was said to be upwards of 80. knew him well; he was a small, lively, and jocose man; healthy, and wore his age very well; I did not think him so old as was said, but upon recollection he must have been about that age. I was acquainted with him before the beginning of 1751, and got to his acquaintance by way of Mr. Arthur Pond, the painter, and famous collector of shells. Mr. Neilson then lived with Mr. Pond at his house, beginning of Queen-street, Lincoln'sinn-fields; and at that very time was of the band of the Vauxhall musick: he lived with and at Mr. Pond's till he (Pond) died, in 176... He was the instigator and manager of all Pond's collections, for Pond was only a virtuoso, but Neilson a scientific man; and indeed all Pond's science, and collections of shells, fossils, &c. were entirely owing to Neilson's assiduity and knowledge. However, at Pond's death, it was found that, after such a strict intimacy and friendship with Neilson, he had not even mentioned him in his will, nor desired his aid and care in disposing of his curious collections, but made demands on him, though, indeed, the elegance of them was all due to Neilson's skill and knowledge. This was supposed to be caused by a jealousy Pond had of Neilson on account of Mrs. Knapton, who was Pond's housekeeper; and perhaps too well founded, for she afterwards lived with Neilson. However, this was a cruel behaviour to Neilson. To return, all Pond's collections were sold at Langford's soon after his death, and, as reported, yielded about 1000/. Numbers of curious fossils, as Sheppey fish, vertebræ, and other parts, lobsters, crabs, &c. of clay-stone; most elegantly and scientifically cleaned of the clay-stone, &c. by Neilson, were sold in it, and fetched good high prices. bought a lobster and some other fossils in clay.

stone

:

stone for Dr. Edward Wright, who bequeathed them, with his MSS, library, &c. for the Edinburgh college (museum), where, I presume, they now are. Mr. Neilson was very scientific and curious, but especially fond of chemical works, and would repeat the poetical parts very readily of many of them by heart. Ashmole's Theatrum Chymicum was his delight. He was also curious in all Natural History, and he cleansed his shells, &c. with great neatness: but his most surprising works were cleaning and freeing all extraneous fossils from their loads, or masses of clay-stone, lime-stone, and other stoney matters, in which they were embedded, in a most surprizing and excellent natural and scientific manner, by mere assiduity and patience, without using labour or any artifice; insomuch that any fossils cleaned by him are elegant and natural, beyond expression. He had been taken in former wars with Spain prisoner; and was kept prisoner of war at Vera Cruz, Havanna, &c. before I knew him. He was a Highlander born, but where and when is unknown; for his relations, nor any one yet (November 1785), have claimed kindred, so his effects remain unclaimed. He had a good collection of shells and fossils, many of which, especially the latter, are cleaned in perfection, as above said, by him, and are very elegant and valuable. E. M. D. C. 23 November, 1785.-Mr. Boydell administered to his effects in 1786; and his goods, books, and collections of natural history, were sold by public auction, by Hutchins, in Kingstreet, Covent-garden (catalogued by George Humphrey), Aug. 16, 1786, and the two following days, and yielded well; Mr. Hunter, by Mr. Bell, purchasing many capital lots, and Mr. Isaac Swainson many of the Sheppey crabs. It is, however, said he died in debt. E. M. D. C. Sept. 1786.

47. Mrs. Hill.

48. Thomas William Jones, esq. His curiosities (the first public sale I remember in London, of shells, fossils, &c. Langford auctioneer) were sold at his dwelling-house in Beaufortbuildings, Strand, in 1750.

49. William Borlase, A. Μ..
50. Ebenezer Mussel, esq.
51. Mr. Josiah Colebrooke.
52. Mr. Joseph Dandridge. This

collector is celebrated by Mr. Ray,

Mr. Petiver, &c. He lived on the pavement in Moorfields near to Bethlehem; was a silk-pattern-drawer; thick and of a middle size. I used to be frequently with him in the summer of 1740, and, though he was then upwards of 80, he was extremely affable and communicative. He told me many anecdotes of the old collectors, was very merry and chatty. He died about 3 or 4 years after, and had two daughters, single women. He had a fine collection of natural history, as fossils, birds, shells, &c.; but his chief display was in insects, well kept and judiciously arranged, and shewed them with great pleasure, and with instruction. By his favour I saw his collection several times.

53. James West, esq.

54. Mr. Joseph Ames, by my papers, died Sunday evening, between 8 and 9, at Mr. Foster's house in Clement's lane, October 7, 1759. He drank tea with me Monday 17th September 1759.

55. Mr. Isaac Romilly.
56. Sir Thomas Fludyer.
57. Mr. John Lewen.
58. Mr. Leman.

59. Joseph Letherland, M. D. 60. Mr. Andrew Peter Dupont died 11 June, 1770, aged about 47 or 8, not near 50.

61. Henry Hampe, M. D. alchemist, died in 1777.

62. ROYAL SOCIETY. Uffenbach, a German traveller, about 1700, mentions the Royal Society with honour, but their Museum with great disgrace. MSS. Baron Heynitz, in April 1765.-In 1781, on their removal to the lodgings, or apartments, in Somerset House, they gave the whole Museum away to the British Museum.

I was elected their clerk on the 3d February 1763, and also museumkeeper and librarian; and held the place till till December 1767.

63. Charles Mason, D. D.
64. Col. King.

65. Colin Mackenzie, M. D. All his collections, viz. books, fossils, and anatomical preparations and figures, were purchased of his brother and heir-at-law (for he left no will) by Dr. Orme. He died about the 30th January 1775, aged about 52 years.

66. Petiver James. Inp.61, Explan. of plate 40, Gaz. in his Mus. Pet. in his advertisement, he says, he is putting to the press his 11 and 12th Cen

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