228 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY, 



burg, and his great work* indirectly had an important influence upon 

 the investigation of fossil remains. The history of the work is instruc- 

 tive, if only as an indication of the state of knowledge at that date. 

 Professor Beringer, in accordance with views of his time, had taught 

 his pupils that fossil remains, or " figured stones," as they were called, 

 were mere " sports of Nature." Some of hig fun-loving students rea- 

 soned among themselves, " If Nature can make figured stones in sport, 

 why can not we ? " Accordingly, from the soft limestone in the neigh- 

 boring hills, they carved out figures of marvelous and fantastic forms, 

 and buried them at the localities where the learned Professor was 

 accustomed to dig for his fossil treasures. His delight at the discovery 

 of these strange forms encouraged further production, and taxed the 

 ingenuity of these youthful imitators of Nature's secret processes. At 

 last Beringer had a large and unique collection of forms, new to him 

 and to science, which he determined to publish to the world. After 

 long and patient study his work appeared, in Latin, dedicated to the 

 reigning prince of the country, and illustrated with twenty-one folio 

 plates. Soon after the book was published the deception practiced 

 upon the credulous Professor became known ; and, in place of the 

 glory he expected from his great undertaking, he received only ridicule 

 and disgrace. He at once endeavored to repurchase and destroy the 

 volumes ah-eady issued, and succeeded so far that few copies of the first 

 edition remain. His small fortune, which had been seriously impaired 

 in bringing out his grand work, was exhausted in the effort to regain 

 what was already issued, as the price rapidly advanced in proportion 

 as fewer copies remained ; and, mortified at the failure of his life's 

 work, he died in poverty. It is said that some of his family, dissatis- 

 fied with the misfortune brought upon them by this disgrace and the 

 loss of their patrimony, used a remaining copy for the j^roduction of a 

 second edition, which met with a large sale, suflicient to repair the 

 previous loss and restore the family fortune. This work of Beringer, 

 in the end, exerted an excellent influence upon the dawning science of 

 fossil remains. Observers became more cautious in announcing sup- 

 posed discoveries, and careful study of natural objects gradually re- 

 placed vague hypotheses. 



The above works, however, are hardly fair examples of the litera- 

 ture on fossils during this part of the eighteenth century. Scheuchzer 

 had previously published his well-known " Complaint and Vindication 

 of the Fishes," illustrated with good plates. Moro, in his work on 

 " Marine Bodies which are found in the Mountains," 1740, showed the 

 effects of volcanic action in elevating strata, and causing faults. Val- 

 lisneri had studied with care the marine deposits of Italy. Donati, 

 in 1750, had investigated the Adriatic, and ascertained by soundings 



* "Lithographia^Virceburgensis, ducentis lapidum figuratorum, a potiori, insectifor- 

 mium, prodigiosis imaginibus exornata." Wirceburgi, 1726. Edit. II. Fraiicofurti et 



1767. 



