THEORY of the EARTH. 233 



ft rates, firft^ That they have been introduced among thofe ftrata 

 in a fluid flate, by injection from fome other place, idly^ That 

 they have been difperfed in a variety of ways among thofe ftra- 

 ta, then. deeply immerfed at the bottom of the fea j .and, laftly^ 

 That they have been there congealed from the ftate of fufion, 

 and have remained in that fituation, while thofe ftrata have 

 been removed from the bottom of the ocean to the furface of 

 the prefent land. 



To defcribe thofe particular appearances would draw this pa- 

 per beyond the bounds of an eflay. We muft, therefore, re- 

 fer thofe who would enquire more minutely into the fubject, 

 to examine the chalk-countries of France and England, in 

 which the flint is found varioufly formed ; the fand-hills inter- 

 fperfed among thofe chalk-countries, which have been alfo in- 

 jedled by melted flint ; and the pudding-ftone of England, 

 which I have not feen in its natural fituation. More particu- 

 larly, I would recommend an examination of the infulated 

 mafles of ftone, found in the fand-hills by the city of Bruflels ; 

 a ftone which is formed by an injection of flint among fand, 

 fimilar to that which, in a body of gravel, had formed the 

 pudding-ftone of England *. 



ALL thefe examples would require to be examined upon the 

 fpot, as a great part of the proof for the .fufion of the flinty 

 fubftance, arifes, in my opinion, from the form in which thofe 

 bodies are found, and the ftate of the furrounding parts. But 

 there are fpecimens brought from many different places, which 

 contain, in themfelves, the moft evident marks of this injec- 

 tion of the flinty fubftance in a fluid ftate. Thefe are pieces of 

 foffil wood, penetrated with a filiceous fubftance, which are 

 brought from England, Germany, and Lochneagh in Ireland. 



IT appears from thefe fpecimens, that there has fometimes 

 been a prior penetration of the body of wood, either with 



G g irony 



* ACCURATE defcriptions of thofe appearances, with drawings, would be, to natural 

 hiftory, a valuable acquifition. 



