Letter 3821

MS 4053 Fol. 39 Hon ed Sr North Bierley Sept 5 1733 I ought to have returned yu thankes sooner for ye favoure of yr letter but being obliged to attend a family in the small pox nigh 20 miles from this place I was detained there three weeks when I was not in the least fit for such a journey having not yet shaked of my last winters imposition wich has left such a wea(k)ness in my (l)egs & feet that stirring abroad is very troublesome to me at my returne I found ye kind present of Bookes for which & all other yr former favours I must always pain in great obligations to you, but I have not yet had time carefull to peruse them ffully a trans silnt sieve Mr Sincher Booke de stelly marina seems to be a Curiouse & elaborate performance I have often wondered (how) ^why some of our late naturelists who acknowledge most of the formed stones to be of marine original should Exclude Belammite etys affines from that clame since upon several of them their remains of the (?) which they were formed does manifest by appear & I thinke Brennius & some others of the curiouse in the worth have cleared this point beyond contradiction ] Mr Brewer I met with not long agoe he still keeps adding to his collection of na: :turel Curiositys he is much obliged to yu for promoting all useful knowledge for patrons in this way are very rare by others; [ I have met with very litle of late in nat: History worth mentioning to you one thing I cannot (?) which I do not remember is taken notice of by (?) nature that is the great distruction that is made amongst the small (?) of Fish by the spuilla agnd dulis which abound in most standing waters in a small breeding pond nigh my house where I had formerly plenty of small carp & Tench every year & (?) late scar Fol. 39v any young breed to be not with my gardiner not long agoe observed an of the Squilla with a carp in it’s mouth, a brest as large as it selfe & has since observed these Insects nesting amongst the wells & ingourous persuing the small (?) I ordrd the Gardiner to catch some of these Insects being then some alive with some of the smallest fish he could meet with, we put them together in a large Basin of water the Insects were so ranceiouse that they fell upon the fish immediately & destroyed several in my sigh & before morning had devourd all that were in the portion] if any thing occur to me which I thinke worth communicating to yu yu shall certainly hear from me with repeated thanks to all yr Civilitys to me & hearty wishes for yr health & long life your much obliged servant Ric: Richardson I have heard nothing latly from Dr Mortimer goes on with Dr Kempfers travils into Tartare &c I subscribed for Sr I: Kane & my selfe to Dr Scheuzer & sent the Subscription in only to Mr Miller who I should be glad to serve with any thing in my power.