PURPURA ANGLICANA, BEING A DISCOVERY OF A SHELLFISH. Found on the Shores of the Severn, in which there is a Vein containing a Juice, giving the delicate and durable Tincture of the Ancient, Rich, Tyrian PURPLE; of which it is an undoubted Species: The Knowledge of which, hath been lost for many Ages. With Experimental OBSERVATIONS upon it, and Figures of the Shells. First printed at Oxford, in the Year 1686. In a large Philosophical Transaction, No. 178. Now reprinted alone, at the Desire, and for the conveniency of many, who are not disposed to buy the BOOK. By W. C. the AUTHOR. LONDON, Printed by Joseph Streater. MDCLXXXIX. PURPURA ANGLICANA THere being many Natural things, which I have formerly, and of late, happily found in the South and West Parts of England, not as I can find published by any Author; besides many more which have been discovered by the industrious Exquisitions of divers ingenious and curious Searchers of Nature; (as also others which were before thought to be Exotiques;) I have reason to believe, that there are very many more (for encouragement of such Inquirers) yet undiscovered in this our Native Country. Among others, that of the Purple-Fish, which I found the last Winter, on the Sea Coasts of Somerset-shire, and the shores of South-Wales opposite to it; which also I doubt not but may be found on the other Coasts of England, especially the South and Western parts, (in which I am almost assured I have formerly seen them, tho' then unknown to me,) where there are Rocks and great Pebbles, and where the Tides run not too strong. Which Discovery I do not pretend to be so made by me, as having no hint of it before: For in October, 1684, there were two Ladies at Mynehead, where I than was, who seeing what Collections I had made of Natural things in those Parts, told me, there was a certain Person living by the Seaside, in some Port or Creek in Ireland, who made considerable gain, by marking with a delicate durable Crimson Colour, fine Linen of Ladies, Gent. etc. sent from many parts of that Island, with their Names, or otherwise as they pleased; which, they told me, (as they were informed,) was made by some liquid substance taken out of a Shellfish; upon which I showed them all the Shells I had found on that Coast; one of them thought it to be taken out of a Limpot; the other out of that Shell here figured and described; but neither of them could inform me out of what part it was taken in either. After their departure from that Port, I made Experiments on all the Shell-fish, in which I might probably think to find it; and broke them while the Fishes were alive in them, and with a short pointed Pencil of Horse hair (no other instrument being so convenient) I tried every part of each, which I imagined might yield the Colour; but upon washing the Linen which I had marked, in scalding water, with soap, there appeared nothing of any colour on them; upon which I was ready to give over any farther search; but at length trying that part, in which I least thought the Tincture lay, it immediately turned to a light green; which being presently dried and washed, as before, there appeared that delicate colour they told me of, as aforesaid. The whole process, upon my oft repeated Experiments, was as followeth. These Shells, being harder than most of other kinds, are to be broken with a smart stroke of a hammer, on a plate of Iron, or firm piece of Timber, with their mouth downwards, so as not to crush the Body of the Fish within: The broken pieces being picked off, there will appear a white Vein, lying transversly in a little furrow or cleft, next to the head of the Fish, which must be digged out with the stiff point of the Horse hair pencil, being made short and tapering; which must be so form, by reason of the viscous clamminess of that white Liquor in the Vein, that so by its stiffness, it may drive in the Matter into the fine Linen, or white Silk; which, altho' I 〈◊〉 not yet tried it, will (I think) be better than on Linen, and make the colour appear more bright and vivid by its reflection, since which I have 〈◊〉 it on white Sarsnet, and find it so. The Letter, Figures, or what else shall be made on the Linen or Silk (as much forced in, as it can be by the pencil) will presently appear of a pleasant light green colour; and if placed in the Sun, will change into the following colours, i. e. if in Winter, about noon, if in the Summer, an hour or two after Sun rising, and so much before setting, for in the heat of the day, in Summer, the colours will come on so fast, that the succession of each, will scarce be distinguished; next to the first light green, it will appear of a deep green; and in few minute's change into a full and very fair Sea green; after which in a few minutes more, it will alter into a Watchet blue; from that, in a little time more, it will be of a Purplish red: after which, lying about an hour or two, (supposing the Sun still shining) it will be of a very deep Purple red, beyond which the Sun can do no more. Note, that these changes are made faster or slower, according to the degrees of the Sun's heat. But then the last and most beautiful colour, (after washing in scalding water and soap) will (the Matter being again put out into the Sun or wind to dry) be much a differing colour from all those mentioned, i. e. of a fair bright Crimson, or near to the Prince's Colour; which afterwards, notwithstanding there is no use of any Stiptic to bind the colour, will continue the same, if well ordered; as I have found in handkercheifs, that have been washed more than 40 times; only it will be somewhat allayed from what it was after the first washing. I made large Letters on so many clothes, as there are distinct colours, to put them into a Book, which kept them from the Air; I have several months after, showed the various colours distinct, as aforesaid; yet by often opening the Book, and so exposing them to the Air, all the colours, excepting the two last (I mean before washing either) will fade; but all the colours, being washed, will be one and the same. While the Cloth so writ upon, lies in the Sun, it will yield a very strong fetid smell; (which divers who have smelled it could not endure) as if Garlic & Assafaetida were mixed together; which I proved but few days before I wrote this, tho' it had been at least twelve months, kept in a Book; which before it was laid in the Sun, had very little of that smell. I have farther observed, that the cloth dried and washed soon after it is wrote on, will appear fresher and brighter, then after being kept in a Book; as I found by some I newly caused to be washed, after they had been 14 months so kept. The Shells are of divers colours, but the most part of them white; some are red, when newly taken off the Rocks; some yellow; others of both those colours; some a blackish brown; many a Sandy colour; and some few striped with white and brown parallel lines: I have herewith sent you most of the colours, with one of the largest I have found, and one of the least, with several of the middle sized. vid. the Figures, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There are other imperfect observations, which I have made of this our Purple-Fish; which I may in some time give you a better account of, viz. 1. At what Age of the Moon, and time of the Tides (i. e. Spring or Neap) their Veins are fullest, and give the best Tincture. For I have found a difference, they being sometimes fuller and whiter, and the juice more viscid; at other times more flaccid and watery. 2. Whether they are in greater perfection in Summer or Winter; having not, as I expected, received any of them this last Summer, to make that Experiment, by reason of our Western Troubles in the Duke of Monmouth's Invasion. Such as are inclined to these Inquiries, and have more liberty from business than I have, may make farther improvements of it, in the preparations of it by Urine, Salt, etc. mentioned by Pliny and other Authors. And altho' the Shells are small, yet their abundance on some of our Shores, may yield matter enough, (with the more pains) to die a quantity of fine Wool, or Silk, so as to render the discovery some way useful, and to answer the vulgar objection of cui bono, made by such persons, who own no good but what relates to the Body. I am of opinion there may be found on our marine Coasts, some bigger Shells, which may have a colouring juice, though not the same with this, for that I know few Natural things both of Animals and Vegetables, but what have divers Species of the same kind, sometimes in the same place. This may be a sufficient intimation to all Ingenious persons living near the Sea, to employ some time to find this out. My purpose was, with this discourse to have drawn and sent you Figures of these Shells, with the Fish pulled out and extended beyond the Vein, together with their Operculums; to which end I sent lately for some of them, but they being not yet come (to satisfy the desires of some Gent. of the Society) I have sent it now, (in that particular) not so perfect as I could wish. As for the qualities of this Fish, I can yet say but little, only I was assured, by some who had boiled, dressed, and eaten of them, that they are wholesome food; as good at least, and taste as well as Lympots or Winkles, only the flesh something harder. For what Use Nature hath designed this Vein of colouring juice unto the Animal, will be difficult to find out; perhaps it may be the spermatick and prolific Matter, by which they propagate their kind; which I am inclinable to think, from its consistence, virulent and fetid savour. A Microscope (which I had not then by me) might have given some light in this Matter, and confirmed it, if those Animalcula are to be found in it, which are in the Masculine Sperm of Fish, and other living Creatures (as some affirm from the many late Experiments they have made.) Or else it may be a Humour in this Animal, which by its Vital Energy, as the spring of life and motion, supplies the want of heart, liver, blood, etc. as in other exanguinious Animals. Those who seek after them may find, as I have done, some of those Purple Shells, in which are the Cancelli, or rather Astaci, (unto which they are more like,) and so may mistake; for those little Craw-fish, I have found in most of our English-Shells, excepting the bivalved, and Patella's; of which in many parts, especially in the West-Indies, there are many sorts, and some very large; which our Countrymen there call Soldiers; for that they say, they enter by force, kill, and take possession of those Houses they have not built; and when they grow too big, forsake them and enter into larger: Whether that be true I know not: This I have found, when I have broken some of the Shells in which those Vagrants are, so as not to bruise their Bodies, and then put them naked into the water, I have beheld them with nimble springing Motion, to run to and fro, till they find a Stone to hide themselves under; which not finding, they bury themselves in loose sand: and this observation gave me full satisfaction, that they were not (at least all the kinds) connate and coalescent with their Shells, as other testaceous Animals of the Sea and Land are; but this being besides my purpose, I return to the Purpura. There is no doubt, but that it is a Species of that kind; of which there are many sorts, differing in bigness, structure, colour of the Shell, according to the nature of the Sea-Grounds, depth or shallowness of water, Rocks, Gravel, Mud, as also the Latitude where they are found; and so differing also in the varieties of colours of the ting juice in their Veins, as black, livid, violaceous, deep Sea-green, light and deep red, Amethystine, etc. As the Histories of this Animal do mention. But the best of all were found in the Tyrian Seas, near that Island, on which the renowned City of Tyre was built, now an inconsiderable Town called Sur; this was celebrated, and prised above all the rest, for that it excelled them all in its illustrious colour, called in former Ages by divers Names, as Ostrum Sarranum, Pelagium, Venenum Tyrium, Purpurissum, Flores Tyriani, etc. Almost all Authors agree, that it lies in a certain Vein in the Fish, and some of them mention it to be white and viscous, as this of ours is. It were to little purpose to give the History at large of all the Purpurae; and when and how first discovered to Phoenix the Son of Agenor, the second King of the Phoenicians, by means of a Shepherd's Dog devouring one of the Fishes, and colouring his lips with that excellent dye: By which its Antiquity appears. In succeeding Ages it received improvements, to the time of Pliny, in whose days (being in the Reign of the Vespasians) it seems to have arrived at its highest perfection; of which he hath made more particular Observations than I can find in other Authors; for which he had great opportunity, living in the Imperial City of the World, where the Artists in Preparations of that ting Succus, for dying the Robes and other Vestments of the Emperors, Senators etc. strove to excel each other in new fashioned Purples for their own gain, and 〈◊〉 to gratify the luxuriant excess of the Great Ones of those times, by preparing and mixing the colour (found in the several sorts of Shells, as aforesaid.) This colour sold then at great Prizes; that which was fine double died Purple of Tyre, called Dibapha, yielded 1000 Roman Denarii the pound, which is computed to be more than Thirty Pounds Sterling: and this of ours being so excellent a colour, without other preparation or addition of any thing to it, may now, or at least hereafter (by farther improvement) vie with the Tyrian Purple. johnston out of Aristotle, mentions a Species of these Fishes, under the Name of Littorales quae parvae & flore sunt rubro; this agrees with ours, which may be named Purpura littoralis (sive Teniensis) parva turbinata. Since the importunity of some Friends hastened this Discourse sooner than I intended (and so prevented those farther Experiments, which I might have made this next Summer) persuming on your favourable acceptance, and excusing the imperfections of it, which could not be so well digested (in the Method of it) as it might have been, were I not engaged in a public Employment, which requires my daily Attendance; I have therefore now presented you with it as it is: And if I find it grateful to you, and to such others, as shall happen to read it, I shall be encouraged to impart many other things, which I esteem no less considerable than this; to the end that the stupendious Works of Nature, or rather of the God of Nature (in which are clearly seen his infinite Wisdom, Power, and Goodness) may by us, as his Instruments, be celebrated for his Glory: In whose Service I am one of the least of your 〈◊〉. WILLIAM COLE. A TABLE of Troy-weight. 32 Grains of Wheat make 24 Artificial Grains. gr. 24 Grains make 1 Penny Weight. p. w. 20 Penny Weight make 1 Ounce. owned. 12 Ounces make 1 Pound. lb. A TABLE of Aver du pois Weight. 4 Quarters make 1 Dram. 16 Drams make 1 Ounce. 16 Ounces make 1 Pound. 28 Pounds make 1 Quarter of a hundred of 112 pounds. 20 Hundred make 1 Tun. A TABLE of Liquid Measure. 1 Pound of Wheat Troy weight make 1 Pint. 2 Pints make 1 Quart. 2 Quarts make 1 Pottle. 2 Pottles make 1 Gallon. 8 Gallons make 1 Firkin of Ale, Soap, Herrings. 9 Gallons make 1 Firkin of Beer. 10 Gallons and a half make 1 Firkin of Salmon or Eels. 2 Firkins make 1 Kilderkin. 2 Kilderkins make 1 Barrel. 42 Gallons make 1 Tierce of Wine. 63 Gallons make 1 Hogshead. 2 Hogsheads make 1 Pipe or But. 2 Pipes make 1 Tun of Wine. A TABLE of Dry Measure. 2 Pints make 1 Quart. 2 Quarts make 1 Pottle. 2 Pottles make 1 Gallon. 2 Gallons make 1 Peck. 4 Pecks make 1 Bushel Land-measure. 5 Pecks make 1 Bushel Water-measure. 8 Bushels make 1 Quarter. 4 Quarters make 1 Chalder. 5 Quarters make 1 Way. A TABLE of Long Measure. 3 Barley Corns in length make 1 Inch. 12 Inches make 1 Foot. 3 Foot make 1 Yard. 3 Foot nine Inches make 1 Ell. 6 Foot make 1 Fathom. 5 Yards and a half make 1 Pole, or Perch. 40 Poles make 1 Furlong. 8 Furlongs make 1 English Mile. A TABLE of Time. 60 Minutes make 1 Hour. 24 Hours make 1 Day Natural. 7 Days make 1 Week. 4 Weeks make 1 Month of twenty eight days. 13 Months 1 day and 6 hours make 1 Year very near.