[ *89 ] 



That all thefe fhould be found, as is afferted, perfedly 

 and unequivocally defined within the narrow compafs of the 

 quarry of Monte Bolca, muft furely be confidered a very aflo- 

 nifhing circumftance, and fuch as I believe can fcarcely be 

 paralled in what has hitherto been difcovered of the natural 

 hiflory of our globe. 



It has been already obferved, that the ftone in which thefe 

 fifh are found is calcareous, and of a fchiftous ftrudure, capa- 

 ble of being fplit into flags or laminae of various thicknefs 

 and dimenfions. Moft mineralogifts who have mentioned it 

 call it a marie or marley fchift. Its colour is whitifh, ycllowifh 

 or bluifh grey ; the grain, though not coarfe, is very dull and 

 earthy ; it varies a good deal in hardnefs, but in general eafily 

 yields to the knife, though not to the nail. Every part of the 

 mafs, whether immediately furrounding fifh or not, on being 

 flruck or fcraped hard, emits a peculiar kind of fetid fmell which 

 cannot eafily be defined. It is fomewhat of the kind, yet dif- 

 fers confiderably from the fmell of the lapis fuillus or fwine- 

 ftone. It is not properly hepatic, unlefs perhaps it mi2;ht be 

 called animal-hepatic *. 



Vol. V. O o The 



«' fins with four defcrited by M. Brouflbnct, which arc peculiar to the fea of 

 " Otaheite, which are the Polynemus plebeius, or Emoi of the Otaheitans ; the Go- 

 " bius (Irigatus, which they call Jaipoa ; the Chxtodon trioftegus, and the Gobius 

 ';' ofcellaris :" — Thefe perfedly correfpond with the fifli given by Sir Jofeph Banks 

 to M. Brouffonet. 



• Abate Fortis obferves the fame thing of the calcareous (lone, containing many 

 iliells of the valley of Ronca in the Veronefe, at no grc ,t diftance from Bolca. 



" Every 



