Skip to content

Please be aware that some material may contain words, descriptions or illustrations which will not reflect current scientific understanding and may be considered in today's context inaccurate, unethical, offensive or distressing.

'Of the Meteor call'd the ignis fatuus from Observations made in England' by William Derham and others in Italy communicated by Sir Thomas Dereham

Reference number: RBO/14/19

Date: 1728

Description

That 'Ignes fatui' (male glow-worms) were common in Italy but that 'pyrausta' (fire-flies) were not
Transcribes a letter from Giacomo Bartholomeo Beccari about 'ignes fatui'
Copies of the original letters of Drs Manfredi and Beccari on the topic of 'ignes fatui'
Read to the Royal Society on 27 February 1728

Reference number
RBO/14/19
Earliest possible date
1728
Page extent
25 pages
Format
Manuscript

Use this record

Citation

'Of the Meteor call'd the ignis fatuus from Observations made in England' by William Derham and others in Italy communicated by Sir Thomas Dereham, 1728, RBO/14/19, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/rbo_14_19/of-the-meteor-calld-the-ignis-fatuus-from-observations-made-in-england-by-william-derham-and-others-in-italy-communicated-by-sir-thomas-dereham, accessed on 11 February 2025

Link to this record

Embed this record

<iframe src="https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/embed/items/rbo_14_19/of-the-meteor-calld-the-ignis-fatuus-from-observations-made-in-england-by-william-derham-and-others-in-italy-communicated-by-sir-thomas-dereham" title="'Of the Meteor call'd the ignis fatuus from Observations made in England' by William Derham and others in Italy communicated by Sir Thomas Dereham" allow="fullscreen" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="500px"></iframe>

Hierarchy

This item is part of:

Explore the collection

  • Register Books

    Dates: 1661-1739

    The 'Register Books Originals' contain copies of scientific papers submitted to the Society and considered for publication. The papers were transcribed to establish their precedence for a particular discovery or idea.

    View collection