248 curious facts: Oct. 16, 
on examining into the cause, they found, to 
their.no small surprise, a large &nife inclosed, of a 
kind very much used in this country of old, which 
could not be accounted for, but in the manner you 
mention. It will no doubt, be urged as an objection to 
the truth of this, that, as iron is of a corrosive na- 
ture, the knife would have been consumed with rust, 
during the very long time it must have lain there ; 
it was however, far from that, though a good deal 
rusted. I suppose it would have continued to rust, 
till the tree closed about it so as to exclude the air, 
but afterwards, that it would not consume any 
more. This however, is but a conjecture. 
4. much more wonderful faet than the above (to 
me at least) fell under my own observation a few 
days ago, which I would willingly see inserted in the 
Bee, if you thought it might serve any good purpose ; 
or, if there is any thing new to you in seeing 
Muscles in the heart of solid stone. 
A gentleman in one of the most northern parifhes 
in this county having occasion to burn some lime, 
was carrying the dime stone from an adjacent island; 
in the sea, below flood mark. Upon breaking the 
stones, to prepare them for the kiln, they were 
found to contain several living muscles, some of them 
about the size of French beans. I was on the spot, 
saw the phenomenon, but could not explain it. I 
need not mention the queries that would occar to a 
superficial naturalist, like myself, upon seeing the 
above. I have only further to add, that every mus- 
cle, at whatever distance it was from the sea, had a 
communication with it, by a very small hole quite 
through the stone. Iam, ir, Th, R. 
eutherland, May, 93. 
