Francis Aston wrote Letter L-158 of 1685-06-27 to pass along the recommendation by John Hoskyns that Leeuwenhoek examine silkworm eggs
This letter is known only by reference in other letters.
In this letter, Francis Aston writes to L. to inform him that the members of the Society have asked him to thank L. for his latest observations, which were agreeable to them. Among other things, Aston passes along the recommendation by John Hoskyns that L. examine silkworm eggs.
This letter from Aston acknowledges Letter L-157. Aston apparently made no mention of the letter read at the Society’s meeting on 21 February 1685 O.S. from Thomas Molyneaux about his recent visit to Leeuwenhoek’s house in Delft, Letter L-155 of 13 February 1685.
Letter L-160 of 13 July 1685 to the Royal Society
I was much pleased to see that my latest observations were so agreeable to you, very noble gentlemen, that you caused your secretary, Mr. Francis Aston, to write and thank me for them.
Letter L-189 of 11 July 1687 to the Royal Society
In Your Honours’ missive of the 17th June 1685. it was, among other things, recommended to me to examine the fertile and sterile eggs of the silkworm. For that purpose, I acquired during the past early summer eggs of the silkworm. But since by that time, the silkworms in the eggs had grown so much that they came crawling out of their eggs, I postponed my observations until I had received such eggs as had been laid only a short time before.
