100 



" white limestone or marble, in loose pieces ; some burnt 

 " and calcined/' He observes, " they are found, likewise, 

 " in the ashes and lava, and then constantly calcined and 

 " farinaceous." Again, Letter 14, he says, " at Monte 

 " Albano, the lava, as well as the piperino, contain cal- 

 " cined fragments of limestone." 



Tozzetti di Targioni, in his elaborate account of the 

 mineralogical productions of his own country, confirms 

 Ferber's testimony, as to the uniform calcination of cal- 

 careous substances.* 



Since, then, glowing lava uniformly calcines the calca- 

 reous substances it comes in contact with, and basalt 

 produces no effect whatsoever upon them; are ^ve not to 

 conclude, that it did not encounter them in a state of fu- 

 sion? which is the point in question. 



Seventhly. Upon the last difference I shall mention, 

 between basalt and lava, I must dwell a little longer: 

 both because it seems radical and essential ; and also, be- 

 cause it laj's open some new and curious facts, relative 

 to basalt, which have hitherto escaped notice. 



I allude 



* Tozzetti is full on the subject. He says, (page 418, Vol. IX.) " Se 

 " material! sieiio tli natura litrescenti, formeianno lave vetrine, se calcarei o 

 " apiri, le formeranno polverose." 



Page 250. " In essi (lave vesuviane) si vedono misti materie vetrificate, 

 •' con materie calcinate, e con altri quasi non punto tocche dal fuoco." 



Page 252. " 11 fuoco volcanico, nelle vescere della montagna di San 

 " Flora, abbia offeso — fuse le massolette di metalli, e calcinate o vetrifi- 

 " cate, secondo la loro attitudine altre sostanze." 



