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by the bulk of the mafs ; for their immediate lofs of life and 

 fpeedy inclofure in a bed of this matter — and for fuch a flate 

 of it as fhould render it capable and fit, though immerfed in 

 water, for the abforption of the fofter animal parts before fer- 

 mentation could arife, as well as for leaving the harder and lefs 

 abforbable portions of their fubftance undeftroycd, and in fuch 

 a ftate as to refift the no lefs deftrudive influence of fucceeding 

 time. 



And here we are naturally led, by the quality and circum- 

 ftances of the inclofing ftone, to a fimple caufe, which, though it 

 might be too much to affert to be demonftratlvely the real one, 

 yet I believe will be allowed fully equal to the effeds, and 

 perhaps I might veature to fay, almoft exclufively fo. This ftone, 

 it has already been obferved, is wholly calcareous, of a light 

 colour, of a grain dull though fine, and wholly devoid of any 

 cryftalline or fparry appearance. Now it is well known that 

 lime-ftone, whatever its original colour may have been, becomes 

 tiniformly white or whitifli, on being calcined or burnt more or 

 lefs to a liroc; that after this calcination it immediately flacks 

 or falls into a powder, on being immerfed in water ; and by agi- 

 tation is eafily diifufed in this element, from which, if left in 

 tranquillity, it foon fubfides in a pulverulent ftate ; that this 

 diifufion of lime in water quickly deprives of life fuch fifh as 

 happen to lie within its reach ; and, in fine, there is every reafon 

 to believe, that a depofition of this nature pofTefles remarkably 

 the quality, juft defcribed, of quickly abforbing, even in water, 

 the oily and other foft parts of animals ; and, when fufiiciently 



flacked. 



