Egg with a cap on one end
Date
25 July 1685
Creator
Unknown, Artist
Object type
Archive reference number
Manuscript page number
vol10 p254
Material
Dimensions
height (page): 307mm
width (page): 177mm
width (page): 177mm
Subject
Description
Drawing of an egg with a cap at one end. The cap, made of the same material as the shell but not continuous with the shell, covered a round hole at one end of about 1/2 inch diameter. The egg was sent to Robert Plott from Yorkshire and he presented it to the Philosophical Society of Oxford on 21 July 1685. This egg was communicated in a letter from William Musgrave to Francis Aston dated 25 July 1685. The letter was read to the Royal Society on 29 June 1685.
The image is copied from LBO/10/204.
The image is copied from LBO/10/204.
Transcription
We had some Lignum Fossile, Belemnites Cornu Ammonis, and Ostracites, shewn us; they were dug out of a well on a hill near Faringdon: A peice of a Persian wood, which sunk in water, was given us About 2 or 3 Miles of from Astrop, there is dug a black heavy Earth, which being Calcinated gives a black Sand, which applies to the Magnet, and was seen in our meeting, An Egg Shell was lately sent hither open at one End, so as to receive the End of my little finger, having a Cap (of the same matter with the shell but wrinkled and using more protruberant than the End of an Egg is naturally) exactly fitting this hole; this Can is said to have been alwayes loose from the Shell, and not continued to it, but the membrane within growing closeti tge Cap, kept it down, as a Cover on the hold, I have presented it in the margent.
Transcribed by the Making Visible project
Transcribed by the Making Visible project
Object history
At the meeting of the Royal Society on 29 July 1685, ‘A letter of Mr. Musgrave to Mr. Aston, dated at Oxford, July 25, 1685, was read, mentioning lignum fossile, cornu ammonis, and ostracites, dug out of a well near Faringdon; an egg-shell having a loose cap rising up at one end of the same matter with the shell; and a wild Virginia rat’s skin above four feet long from the nose to the anus’ (Birch 4:423).
At the meeting of the Oxford Philosophical Society on July 21st, 1685, ‘Dr. Plott presented a Persian wood, which was observ’d to sink in water; & a Hen’s egge sent him from out of York-shire, having a round hole at one end of about ½ inch Diameter: this hole was exactly fitted by a little cap of ye same matter with ye rest of ye shell, but more protuberant, than ye end of an Egg-shell is naturally, & full of wrinkles; the Cap is said not to have been continued to ye main body of ye shell, but sticking close by it’s inner side to ye membrane was by these meanes kept as a cover on ye hole’ (Robert T. Gunther, Early Science in Oxford, 14 vols (Oxford: R. T. Gunther, 1923-45), IV The Philosophical Society (1925), 158).
At the meeting of the Oxford Philosophical Society on July 21st, 1685, ‘Dr. Plott presented a Persian wood, which was observ’d to sink in water; & a Hen’s egge sent him from out of York-shire, having a round hole at one end of about ½ inch Diameter: this hole was exactly fitted by a little cap of ye same matter with ye rest of ye shell, but more protuberant, than ye end of an Egg-shell is naturally, & full of wrinkles; the Cap is said not to have been continued to ye main body of ye shell, but sticking close by it’s inner side to ye membrane was by these meanes kept as a cover on ye hole’ (Robert T. Gunther, Early Science in Oxford, 14 vols (Oxford: R. T. Gunther, 1923-45), IV The Philosophical Society (1925), 158).
Related fellows
William Musgrave (1735 - 1800, British) , Physician
Francis Aston (1644 - 1715, British) , Natural philosopher
Robert Plot (British) , Natural historian
Francis Aston (1644 - 1715, British) , Natural philosopher
Robert Plot (British) , Natural historian
Associated place