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creeps into the earth, has its wings covered with a kind of (hell or 

 eafe for their defence, in like manner as we obferve in thofe infcdts 

 which are called by children cockchafers and ladybirds. 



I alfo difcovered divers pieces of the bodies of various fmall animals, 

 in which I could diltinguilh thofe little cavities or fpots whicli are 

 obferved on infects, particularly on the cafes covering the wino-s ; 

 alfo on fome of thefe fragments I faw very minute hairs, fuch as the 

 bodies of infe6ts are generally covered with, likewife fome fragments 

 of wings with hairs on them. 1 found alfo a kind of fting of fome 

 infe6t, and at the extremity of it an aperture, fuch as is feen in the 

 fting of a fcorpion ; in a word, I found an incredible number of 

 particles or broken fragments of infedts of various kinds and fizes, 

 confidering the fmall quantity of Peat in which they were contained, 

 fo that it may fairly be concluded, that all thofe infefts had been 

 promifcuoufly colle6led together when the earth on which they lay 

 had firfi; been waflied away.. 



In the fame portion of Peat were various particles, appearing to the 

 naked eye li!;e the ftalks of grafs or plants, and fuch I found them by 

 the microfcope to be, and by it I plainly perceived the tubes or veflels 

 of which they were compofed. I alfo difcovered fome few particles, 

 which feemed to be thehufks of feeds, and others which I imagined 

 were the rinds or bark of twigs. 



All thefe particles, of the many different kinds I have enumerated, 

 were contained within the compafs of a portion of Peat not exceeding 

 a cubic inch in fize. 



From thefe obfervations it appears, how incorruptible are fome 

 fubftances, when buried deep under fand and water, when the fame 

 fubftances being expofed to the air, and in frequent agitation, are fo 

 divided and broken that they efcape our fight, and then we fay they 

 perifli ; and who knows whether this Peat-like fubftance might noli 

 have lain for fome thoufand years under the fand and fea water before; 

 the place became firm land ? 



