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The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Correspondence Explorer

Choose two people to view all letters between them.

Showing 58 letters from 1670–1677

0 letters from Henry Oldenburg; 58 letters from Martin Lister

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Signed autograph Determining who was the first person to observe the darting of spiders in making webs Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 7, p 104 B&W negative of last page, Box N101. IM/005321

Reference number: EL/L5/20

Signed autograph Discussing spider's thread and how it divides; observations of bees and their reproduction Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 7, p 340

Reference number: EL/L5/21

Signed autograph States that he will send on further observations of spiders's 'action of the darting of thread'; concerning the acid liquor of pismires (type of ant); observations of trying to obtain sap from sycamore ( 'bleeding of sycamore') Read to the Royal Society on 9 February 1670 Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 7, p 415 Printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 5, no 68, p 2067

Reference number: EL/L5/23

Signed autograph Sends an enquiry about obtaining sap from sycamore ( 'bleeding sycamore'); stating that he has not been harmed by the spiders he has investigated, but has been by 'Cimices', a genus of bedbugs Read to the Royal Society on 9 February 1670 Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 7, p 423

Reference number: EL/L5/24

Signed autograph Concern about whether a box has arrived at the Royal Society; stating that 'Multipedas' gives acidic juice; concerning an experiment for obtaining sap from sycamore (the 'bleeding of sycamore') which was carried out on other trees; concerning the sap from a mulberry tree Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 7, p 443 Partially printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 5, no 68, p 2069 and vol 6, no 70, p 2120

Reference number: EL/L5/25

Signed autograph Glad that his box has arrived; observations of the 'Viviparous Fly' and the insect 'Julus'; further observations of experiments about the motion of sap in sycamore, walnut and maple; questions whether sap moves in plants and outlines an experiment to determine this with 'Cataputia minor Lob' (spurge); concerning the colours of vegetables and animals and whether salts are responsible for changing colours; observations of the colours of flowers; considers how to fix colours, especially black which was from an English vegetable Read to the Royal Society on 23 February 1670 Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 7, p 457 Printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 6, no 70, pp 2121-2123 and pp 2132-36

Reference number: EL/L5/26

Signed autograph Discussing black dye and states that he will send a quantity of it; concerning the insect Kermes observed in Languedoc, which affected the a scrub-oak Read to the Royal Society on 9 March 1670 Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 7, p 492

Reference number: EL/L5/27

Signed autograph Sends a list of people who are believed to be elderly; outlining an experiment to extract sap from different trees and fruit bushes Read to the Royal Society on 30 March 1670 Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 7, p 521 Partially printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 6, no 70, p 2123

Reference number: EL/L5/28
1671

Signed autograph Observations of the 'Viviparous Flye' and answering enquiries about it; states that he sends a paper on snails; attached is a list of enquiries about spiders (23 questions); Lister has answered the first enquiry in Latin which is a list of the spiders of England Read to the Royal Society on 19 January 1672 Transcription and translation in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 7, p 350 Printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 6, no 72, p 2170

Reference number: EL/L5/22

Signed autograph Observations of the motion of juices in vegetables Read to the Royal Society on 20 April 1671 Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 7, p 565 Printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 6, no 70, p 2126

Reference number: EL/L5/29

Signed autograph Wishes to be made a Fellow of the Royal Society; hopes to be able to expand his notes about colours in autumn Read to the Royal Society on 18 May 1671 Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 8, p 43

Reference number: EL/L5/30

Signed autograph Observations of the husks of the insect Kermes on Plume trees Read to the Royal Society on 25 May 1671 Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 8, p 57

Reference number: EL/L5/31

Signed autograph Observations of 'Cimex', genus of bedbug, and the eggs they produce Read to the Royal Society on 8 June 1671 Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 8, p 69 Printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 6, no 72, p 2176

Reference number: EL/L5/32

Concerning specimens of 'Patellae Kermi-formes' which Lister sent to the Royal Society; concerning vegetable excrescencies and the worms found within Read to the Royal Society on 22 June 1671 Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 8, p 71

Reference number: EL/L5/33

Signed autograph Observations of the 'Patellae Kermiformes' which have hatched in a box and the larvae produced; observations of glow-worms Read to the Royal Society on 22 June 1671 Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 8, p 105 Printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 6, no 73, p 2196

Reference number: EL/L5/34

Signed autograph Observations of English Kermes; comparing English purple Kermes with scarlet Kermes Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 8, p 137

Reference number: EL/L5/35

Signed autograph Concerning vegetable excrescencies and the insects produced Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 8, p 163 Printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 6, no 75, p 2254

Reference number: EL/L5/36

Observations of insects that smell of musk; observations of caterpillars; observations of healing cut eyes with the juice of the herb Celandine; observations of petrified shells from English quarries and states that he will send some specimens of English cockle stones Read to the Royal Society on 2 November 1671 Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 8, p 212 Printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 6, no 76, p 2281

Reference number: EL/L5/37

Signed autograph Observations of vegetable excrescencies; concerning 'Ichneumones' from caterpillars Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 8, p 263 Printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 6, no 76, p 2284

Reference number: EL/L5/38

Signed autograph Asks questions about tarantulas; observations of pismires (type of ant) and goat-chaffer or sweet beetle; wishes an amendment to be made to the publication of a letter in 'Philosophical Transactions' Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 8, p 263 Printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 6, no 77, p 3002

Reference number: EL/L5/39

Signed autograph Sends a second paper on vegetable excrescencies and outlines some thoughts about 'Ichneumones'; questions Cornelio's observations regarding the bites of tarantula Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 8, p 317

Reference number: EL/L5/40

Signed autograph Gives thanks for being elected to the Fellowship; will be sending a specimen of black resin to the Royal Society Read to the Royal Society on 16 November 1671 Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 8, p 354

Reference number: EL/L5/41

Signed autograph Discussion of the veins in plants and their uses, and of the pores in the pith of the stalk Read to the Royal Society on 18 January 1671 Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 8, p 462

Reference number: EL/L5/42

Signed autograph Discussing whether the tarantula is a phalangium, commenting on Cornelio's theory of the bites of tarantula Read to the Royal Society on 29 February 1671 Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 8, p 555

Reference number: EL/L5/43

Signed autograph Considering Malpighi's work on the veins of plants Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 8, p 604

Reference number: EL/L5/44
1672

Signed autograph Wishing to expand and modify notes about the insect Kermes; states that an account of mushrooms that produce a milky substance found in the northern Alps will be ready soon (see EL/L5/49) Read to the Royal Society on 30 October 1672 Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 9, p 281 Printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 7, no 87, p 5059

Reference number: EL/L5/47

Signed autograph Concerning papers that had been sent to the Royal Society Henry Oldenburg's note states that it was not to be entered in the Letter Book

Reference number: EL/L5/48

Signed autograph Observations of mushrooms found at Marton woods, Craven (western Ribblesdale Yorkshire), which produced milky juices Read to the Royal Society on 20 November 1672 Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 9, p 324 Printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 7, no 89, p 5116

Reference number: EL/L5/49

Signed autograph Raises a number queries about veins in plants after remarks made by Nehemiah Grew; copies response from Mr Wray about the hot taste of the mushroom from Marton in Craven (western Ribblesdale, Yorkshire) Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 9, p 364

Reference number: EL/L5/50

Signed autograph Wishes to revise a paper he has sent to the Royal Society and to prevent a letter being read at the meeting before this is done; states that he has difficulties in interpreting results from observations Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', edited and translated by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 9, p 377

Reference number: EL/L5/51

Signed autograph Observations of veins from transverse cuts of plants; discovery of the membrane of these veins; observations of the motion of liquid in plant veins and that there are similarities between plants and animals in this respect Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 9, p 397 Printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 7, no 90, p 5132

Reference number: EL/L5/52
1673

Signed autograph Observations of insects found in England in 1666 and 1667; anatomical observations and experiments to show the movement of chyle in veins by injecting various liquids in the intestines of animals; wishes to send an improved table of snails Read to the Royal Society on 28 May 1673 Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 9, p 658 Printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 8, no 95, p 6060

Reference number: EL/L5/53

Signed autograph Concerning the use of the caecum in the digestive system observed in different animals Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 10, p 56

Reference number: EL/L5/54

Sends a parcel of papers by Mr Jessop Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 10, p 69

Reference number: EL/L5/55

Further observations of the caecum in the digestive system of different animals; analysis of Nehemiah Grew's work 'Idea of a Phytological History' concerning vessels or veins in plants Copy of letter see EL/L5/57 Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', edited and translated by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 10, p 93

Reference number: EL/L5/56

Further observations of the caecum in the digestive system of different animals; animadversions to Nehemiah Grew's work 'Idea of a Phytological History' concerning vessels or veins in plants Original is EL/L5/56

Reference number: EL/L5/57

Signed autograph Concerning a blood-staunching liquid which has been tested on animals Read to the Royal Society on 30 October 1673 Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 10, p 176

Reference number: EL/L5/58

Signed autograph Concerning Mr Denis's blood-staunching liquid obtained from an apothecary and the test of this liquid carried out on a dog Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 10, p 221

Reference number: EL/L5/59

Signed autograph Reservations about Nehemiah Grew's paper; sends Jessop's letter; states that he will send a specimen or a preparation of the blood-staunching liquid to the Royal Society and gives a case of a boy who used it after chopping his thumb Lister's answer to Grew see EL/L5/62 Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 10, p 301

Reference number: EL/L5/60

An account of stones figured like plants List of explanations for the figures is attached Read to the Royal Society on 13 November 1673 Original figures in LBO/6/371 Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 10, p 324 Printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 8, no 100, p 6181

Reference number: EL/L5/61

Signed autograph Concerning stones figured like plants Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 10, p 368 LBO/6/339

Reference number: EL/L5/63

Signed autograph Concerning his difference of opinion with Nehemiah Grew; states that he is unable to send a paper on snails Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 10, p 411

Reference number: EL/L5/64

Signed autograph Two transcribed extracts from letters from Jessop: one concerning a straight line being equal to a curved one; the another about subterraneous hot air and fungus from caves and mines Read to the Royal Society on 22 January 1673 Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 10, p 424

Reference number: EL/L5/66

Signed autograph Sends the remainder of specimens of subterraneous fungus (see EL/L5/66 for details) Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 10, p 445

Reference number: EL/L5/68

Observations of the navel of fruits; an account of stones which have been voided by humans Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 10, p 466

Reference number: EL/L5/69

Signed autograph Sends the table and figures of snails, which were drawn by Mr Lodge On the reverse of this letter is an account of the tables and some questions about land and freshwater snails The table (list of explanations) is in Latin On reverse of table is a transcription of Nathaniel Johnson's observations of stones found in animals Original figures attached Read to the Royal Society on 2 April 1673 Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 10, p 497 Account of tables and figures printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 9, no 105, p 96 Johnson's observations printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 9, no 101, p 502

Reference number: EL/L5/70
1674

Signed autograph Observations of the effects of the blood-staunching liquid; transcribes part of a letter to Dr Ray about observations of St Cuthbert's beads (the fossil joints of crinoid stems) and stones called St Paul's Batoons (shape of a stick) Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 10, p 383

Reference number: EL/L5/65

Signed autograph Observations of astroites or star-stones List of explanations for figures is attached LBO/7/11 for transcription and figures of stones Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 10, p 438 Printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 10, no 112, p 274

Reference number: EL/L5/67

Wishes that table and figures of snails be published; also transcribes John Ray's views about Lister's observations of astroites or star-stones Transcription in 'The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg', ed and trans by A Rupert Hall & Marie Boas Hall, vol 10, p 562

Reference number: EL/L5/71

Signed autograph States that he deliberately omitted figures of limates or naked snails and that this intention was made known at the foot of the table in Letter EL/L5/70

Reference number: EL/L5/72

Signed autograph Sends a bag of cawke with instructions for use

Reference number: EL/L5/76
1675

Signed autograph Observations of the bleeding of a four-month old infant which lead to her death

Reference number: EL/L5/73

Signed autograph Sends an extract of a letter from Thomas Townes about his experiences in Barbados: about wine; the climate; vegetation; the indigenous population Copy by Henry Oldenburg is EL/L5/75 Read to the Royal Society on 1 July 1675 Printed in 'Philosophical Transactions', vol 10, no 117, p 399

Reference number: EL/L5/74

Sends a transcription of a letter from Thomas Townes about his experiences in Barbardos: about wine; the climate; vegetation; the indigenous population Original is EL/L5/74

Reference number: EL/L5/75
1676

Signed autograph States that he sends information about the black resin; discussion of the colour of a Barbardian's blood Read to the Royal Society on 16 November 1676

Reference number: EL/L5/77

Incomplete letter - last page with signature Concerning Mr B who vomited some strange worms

Reference number: EL/L5/78
1677

Signed autograph Sends papers (EL/L5/81) with instructions about engraving the diagrams

Reference number: EL/L5/79

Observations of Roman urns - 'I shall relate to you certain Antiquities, which have escaped the more curious Antiquaries of this and the last age … The different make of the Roman urnes to be found with us in England, their composition and places where they made them...'

Reference number: EL/L5/81