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but that they were uncovered before the creation of tiHi, and 

 fince they contain limeftone, that this ftone does not neccfTarily 

 and univerfally originate from comminuted fhells, as BufFon and 

 others have advanced. 



That fifh did not exift until the level of the ocean was dc- 

 prefled to eight thoufand five hundred feet may alfo be in- 

 ferred with equal evidence from this obfervation, that tho' fe- 

 veral lofty mountains at prefent exift which far exceed that height, 

 yet no petrifadions or fhellg are incorporated in the rocks or 

 ftrata that form them. This De la Peyroufe attefts with refpe£l 

 to the Pyrenees, which yet are moftly calcareous. Traite des Mines 

 de fer^ 336. Nor are any found in Santo VelinOy the higheft of 

 the Appennines, its height being eight thoufand three hundred 

 feet, whereas they abound in thofe that are lower. In the Sa- 

 voyan Alps Salenche, Saleve Mole, the Dole, all of which are cal- 

 careous, but below the height of feven thoufand feet, contain 

 petrifadions, but the Buet, which is alfo calcareous for the 

 greater part, but whofe height exceeds ten thoufand feet, con- 

 tains none. Sauffure paffim. 



And reciprocally of the mountains that contain petrifadions 

 imbodied in their mafs none reaches to the height of eight thou- 

 fand fix hundred feet. With refped to the Hartz, Lafius 

 remarks that no petrifadions are found in the mountains 

 whofe height exceeds two thoufand three hundred and ten 



feet. 



