LETTERS FROM THE REV. WM. DERHAM, D.D. 185
knew of. I desire you to tell me what the name of it is. With
our humble Services to your family, I am
Sr
Your much obliged humble Servt
W. Derham.
This Bird is a Cock-Bird, as I saw by his Testes in taking out
the Gats.
Sr
The last time I was at London finding these Books & visiting
Mr. Petiver at his own house, I borrowed them of him to enjoy the
pleasure of perusing them, & have sent them you for the same
pleasure your self. When you have looked them over be pleased
to return them, as clean as may be, yt the sale may not be hindered,
unless you had rather keep them at a Guinnea price : for wch
he in gratitude will dedicate a Plate to you, as you see he hath done
to others. I would have visited on you my self this afternoon, but
the preparations I am engaged in for a Funeral Sermon, will not
permit to stir. I desire our humble services may be acceptable
of your self & family, being
Sr
Your very humble servt
W. Derham.
June 15
Mar : 28 1710/1
Sr
I have lately made some considerable discoveries in the Eyes
of Birds & Fishes, & the Ears of Birds, & my Glasses being not good
enough, nor well enough rigged I beg the favr of you to lend me
your Microscopes, wth their furniture, to enable me to perfect my
observations : wch relate to ye Choroides of Fishes a pectinated,
curious work, growing in the vitreous Humr to ye optick nerve
of Birds ; & the Tympanum Labyrinth, & other very curious and
observeable things in the auditory organ of Birds. I here send you
all yr Books except Sr Isaac's Opticks wch I beg the liberty of keeping
longer ; if you have the latin-edition, I should be glad to see it,
because it hath some things wch this English Edit, hath not I
fancy the Head of ye Heron affords somwt peculiar, their Flight
being high, & occasions of looking in the water frequent. I wish
therefore I had one, but can't desire such a mischievous trouble.
With great respect I am
Sr
Your much obliged humble Serv
Wm. Derham.
The choroid gland is a vascular crescent-shaped body about
the entrance to the optic nerve in the eye of a fish.
The tympanum in ornithology is the labyrinth of the bottom
of the windpipe of certain birds.