Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 004.djvu/100

 Nota. This kind of Concaves, burning most forcibly of any fire we know of, even beyond that of a Wind-furnace, would be of great use, if they could be so contrived as to have a focus of any considerable largeness, to take in a good quantity of combustible matter at once.

He Occasion of this Curious and Laborious Discourse will appeare from the Preface to it. The Book itself gives an Acompt of the Production, Structure, Food, Growth, Sicknesses, Workmanship, Changes, Generation, and Death of the Silk-worm'; together with an accurate Anatomicall Description of all, even the minuter parts of that Insect, and the varieties of them in the severall Changes, it undergoes; where yet the Author in such particulars, which he finds himself short off, or not well satisfied in, with great modesty refers himself to the Assistance and farther consideration of that Society, to whom he dedicateth this Epistle,

He begins with the Eggs and hatching of the Silk-worms, observes the Changes of their Colour: then proceeds to the growth of the Young worm; the various tryals in feeding it with divers other leave but those of Mulbery's; their sicknesses and the prognosticks of them; the casting of their skins, together with all the steps and the whole manner of the same.

In the Anatomicall Observations of the structure of this Insect, he takes notice, among many other things, of its eleven Rings or Incisures, and of how many small ones each of them is made up; giving their shape, different size, nature and composition. Then goes on to the Wrinkles of the Body, the Head, the Cranium, the Lip, Chin, Eyes, Teeth (cutting not by an up and down motion, but at latterall one) Hair, Leggs with their different shapes, articulations, claws, together with their posture and motion for Spinning.