THE HISTORY OF GEOLOGY AT OXFORD 31 



called, the author quaintly, though erroneously, observes, 

 "because they made three Mouthfuls apiece," and he in- 

 genuously adds that were " the Strombites not a Stone I 

 must pronounce it the Same," i.e., as the living Tridacna. 

 A "Conchites" of the kind we now term " Rhynchonella " 

 is introduced to us, and in a digression we are informed that 

 specimens of this " made red hot and put into drink are 

 accounted a present Remedy for a Stitch ". 



There is also a Pecten, which the author compares with 

 the Pecten asper of Aldrovandus, and an Oyster (evidently 

 Ostrea dilatata) of which it is remarked " I could easily 

 have assented that these . . . might once indeed have 

 been Shell-fish, but that (just as with the Escallops) we 

 only find the protuberant parts of the Shells [convex 

 valves] and never any of the fiat ones ". We then come 

 to a fossil, now known as Cidaris, which is spoken of as 

 " a curiouslv embroidered Stone, much resembling the 

 petrified Riccio Marino, or Sea-Urchin of Imperatus" also 

 known to old authors as Mamelles de Saint Paul and as 

 Ova Anguina " because from the Basis there issue as it 

 were five Tails of Serpents, waved and attenuated towards 

 the Upper part of the Stones". These "Old Authors" 

 regarded it as " engendered from the Salivation and Slime 

 of Snakes, and cast into the Air bv the Force of their 

 Sibilations : where if taken, has Effects as wonderful as its 

 Generation, and therefore of great Esteem amongst the 

 French Druids". " But," concludes our excellent author, 

 " I care not to spend my time in Romance and therefore 

 proceed," and so passes to the Cornua Ammonis or Ophio- 

 morphites, our Ammonites.^ Some of these are found 

 "about Adderbury, about two Miles from Banbury, but 

 . . . that the Town has not its Name from these Stones 

 (as Mr. Ray thinks) I dare confidently avouch, Adderbury 

 being only the vulgar Name : for in the Court-Rolls of New 

 College ... it is written Eabberbury, perhaps from St. 

 Ebba, the tutelar Saint of the Church ". 



The "Formed Stones" having been sufficiently de- 

 scribed, Dr. Plot proceeds to a discussion of " The great 

 Question now so much controverted in the World : Whether 



