'During the spring of 1664 and 1665 the Royal Society of London showed considerable interest in May-dew, carrying out systematic experiments with it. It is evident throughout that the Fellows of the Society were seeking answers to questions about the origins of plant and animal life and how it is sustained, and that the interest in May-dew was part of a general interest in organic change. The investigation concerning May-dew is important because it is the only account of a series of experiments carried out by the Society to appear in the first year of "Philosophical transactions"' existence. The inquiry into May-dew is also of interest because it provides an entry into the numerous conjectures that were entertained by people who attempted to explain the beginning and maintenance of life in all its diverse forms, and because the way in which it was conducted is symptomatic of the overall strategy for investigations planned and carried out in the Royal Society's early years.'
History of science Vol. 32 (1994), p. 163-184