MINERALS. ' ^ 



as there are fpecles of animals and vegetables. The intelligent 

 invelligator will not iheretore ilraiten the limits of an ufeful fci- 

 ence, by difregarding the ancient inhabitants of the globe, thoutrh 

 unknown to modern naturalifts. The modes of petrifa»3:ion are 

 principally tourtold ; Foflils, fubdances reitored, fubllanccs im-- 

 prelTed, and iubftanccs tranfubftantiated ; and are more frequent in 

 Marble, Flint, Schill, Sand-iionc, Rock, and Qj^iartz. 



THE difficulties of fcience have moreover produced various para** 

 doxes. 



Gonfolidated fiiriires of rocks are often di(lind:ly vifible ; bi!t by 

 what means or pov^er they have been broken, is not eafily de- 

 monftrated. 



All Spar is generated by cryftallization, in cavities "filled up, 

 nor is fpatc ever prefent without rhombs; but why it is broken 

 into rhombs, or bow from a cubico-muriatic is produced a rhom* 

 bic figure, is not very evident. 



Amiant is obferved to be regenerated from the earth of Talc, 

 the caufe of which is obfcure. 



That Molybdasnum is metallic cannot be doubted, and it has oft^a 

 been aflcrted to be impregnated with Zinc or Tin ; yet it is noteafy 

 of proof. Jews-ftones are found petrified in hollow cavities, ge- 

 nerated from a fluid with fpar, of which they often entirely con- 

 fift; but from what animal they have their origin is not fufficiently 

 evident, fince the echini do not afford a fatisfadory elucidation. 



PRIMARY Salts have a peculiar and determinate figure, but whea 

 changed, often appear with a different but alike determinate figure; 

 but from what mixture proper to themfelves, or from what extra- 

 neous terrene mixture, the Iludent in this department has not been 

 able to determine ; and fince metals are generated from fait by cryf.. 

 tallization, Alchemifls have in vain laboured at the true transfor- 

 mation of metals ; and this metamorphofis of falts Ihall remain un-- 

 difcovered, fo long as Metalkirgifts ihall negledl it, and turn thfeir 

 inveftigations towards earths only. 



SIMILAR Strata* of the earth are often obfervable in broken moun- 

 tains ; but it is not evident that tht y are ail of the fame gen js, or 

 produced from the waters of the ocean: 



I. The lowermoft llratum of Sand-Jlone. 



7.. The fecond of Schijl, 



• The various ftrata of earth are corftantl,y obferved in cqu-l order and dilf- 

 tancej and thtfore this accretion of foil, fo weil kept dilli'.cl, Ihould be ra- 

 ther confidercd as the operation of a fucceilion oi ages, than the tutnuJiuGUj 

 jumbk of the general deluge. Ramaz.-., mut. 279, 



