DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68888#0170
IIO Ml CROGRA PHIA.
Examining several of these very curioussy figur’d bodies (which ate
commonly thought to be Stones form’d by some extraordinary Ylajlics
•virtue latent in the Earth it self) I took notice of these particulars:
First, that these figured bodies, or st ones, were of very differing sub-
stances, as to hardness: some of Clay, some Marie, some soft Stone, al-
most of the hardness of thofe soft stones which Masons call Fire-stone,
others as hard as Portland stone, others as hard as Marble, and some as
hard a a Flint or Crystal.
Next, they were of very differing substances as to transparency and
colour 5 some white, some almost black, some brown, some Metalline, or
like Marchasites $ some transparent like white Marble, others like ssaw’d
Crystahsome gray, some of divers colours, some radiated like these long
petrify'd drops, which are commonly found at the Peas, and in other
fybterraneous caverns, which have a kind of pith in the middle.
Thirdly, that they were very different as to the manner of their out-
ward figuration , for some of them seem’d to have been the substance
that had fill’d the Shell of some kind of Shel-fish 5 others, to have been
the substance that had contain’d or enwrapp’d one of those Shels,on both
which,the perfect impression either of the inside or outside of such Shells
seem’d to be left, but for the most part, those impressions seem’d to be
made by an imperfect or broken Shell, the great end or mouth of the
Shell being always wanting, and oftentimes the little end, and sometimes
half and in some there were impressions, just as if there had been holes
broken in the figurating, imprinting or moulding Shell 5 some of them
seem’d to be made by such a Shell very much brufed or ssaw’d, insomuch
that one would verily have thought that very figur’d stone had been
broken or brused whilst a gelly, as ’twere, and so hardned, but within
in the grain of the stone, there appear’d not the least sign of any such
brufe or breaking, but onely on the very uttermost soperficies.
Fourthly, they were very different,as to their outward covering, some
having the perfect Shell, both in figure, colour, and substance, slicking
on upon its surface, and adhering to it, but might very easily be scpa-
rated from it, and like other common Cockle or Scolop-jhels, which some of
them most accurately refembled,were very dissoluble in common Vinegar,
others of them,especially those Serpentine, or HelicalJi ones were cover’d
or retained the shining or Pearl-colour’d substance of the inside of a Shel,
which substance, on some parts of them, was exceeding thin, and might
very easily be rubbed off} on other parts it was pretty thick, and re-
tained a white coat, or ssaky substance on the top, just like the outsides
of such Shells 5 some of them had very large pieces of the Shell very
plainly slicking on to them, which were easily to be broken or ssaked off
by degrees: they likewife, some of them retain’d all along the surface of
them very pretty kind offutures, such as are observ’d in the skulls of se-
deral kinds of living creatures, which jutures were most curioussy shap’d
in the manner of leaves, and every one of them in the same Shell, exastly
one like another, which I was able to discover plainly enough with my
naked eye, but more perfectly and distindly with my Microjcope 5 all
these
Examining several of these very curioussy figur’d bodies (which ate
commonly thought to be Stones form’d by some extraordinary Ylajlics
•virtue latent in the Earth it self) I took notice of these particulars:
First, that these figured bodies, or st ones, were of very differing sub-
stances, as to hardness: some of Clay, some Marie, some soft Stone, al-
most of the hardness of thofe soft stones which Masons call Fire-stone,
others as hard as Portland stone, others as hard as Marble, and some as
hard a a Flint or Crystal.
Next, they were of very differing substances as to transparency and
colour 5 some white, some almost black, some brown, some Metalline, or
like Marchasites $ some transparent like white Marble, others like ssaw’d
Crystahsome gray, some of divers colours, some radiated like these long
petrify'd drops, which are commonly found at the Peas, and in other
fybterraneous caverns, which have a kind of pith in the middle.
Thirdly, that they were very different as to the manner of their out-
ward figuration , for some of them seem’d to have been the substance
that had fill’d the Shell of some kind of Shel-fish 5 others, to have been
the substance that had contain’d or enwrapp’d one of those Shels,on both
which,the perfect impression either of the inside or outside of such Shells
seem’d to be left, but for the most part, those impressions seem’d to be
made by an imperfect or broken Shell, the great end or mouth of the
Shell being always wanting, and oftentimes the little end, and sometimes
half and in some there were impressions, just as if there had been holes
broken in the figurating, imprinting or moulding Shell 5 some of them
seem’d to be made by such a Shell very much brufed or ssaw’d, insomuch
that one would verily have thought that very figur’d stone had been
broken or brused whilst a gelly, as ’twere, and so hardned, but within
in the grain of the stone, there appear’d not the least sign of any such
brufe or breaking, but onely on the very uttermost soperficies.
Fourthly, they were very different,as to their outward covering, some
having the perfect Shell, both in figure, colour, and substance, slicking
on upon its surface, and adhering to it, but might very easily be scpa-
rated from it, and like other common Cockle or Scolop-jhels, which some of
them most accurately refembled,were very dissoluble in common Vinegar,
others of them,especially those Serpentine, or HelicalJi ones were cover’d
or retained the shining or Pearl-colour’d substance of the inside of a Shel,
which substance, on some parts of them, was exceeding thin, and might
very easily be rubbed off} on other parts it was pretty thick, and re-
tained a white coat, or ssaky substance on the top, just like the outsides
of such Shells 5 some of them had very large pieces of the Shell very
plainly slicking on to them, which were easily to be broken or ssaked off
by degrees: they likewife, some of them retain’d all along the surface of
them very pretty kind offutures, such as are observ’d in the skulls of se-
deral kinds of living creatures, which jutures were most curioussy shap’d
in the manner of leaves, and every one of them in the same Shell, exastly
one like another, which I was able to discover plainly enough with my
naked eye, but more perfectly and distindly with my Microjcope 5 all
these