230 Olfervattotis on Living Animals 



ccmpalTes, but in doing fo happened to hurt it. When he 

 placed it on the ground it however crept about, but died 

 in the courfe of an hour. It had a yellow ft ripe over the 

 back, the colour of which became changed after it was dead. 

 No crack or cleft could be difcovcred in the (tone. The in- 

 fide of the cavity was fmooth, and looked as if it had been 

 polimed. 



M. Gerhard, at Padenburg, in the county of Mansfeld, 

 faw ljkewife a living toad inclpfed in a ftone. The cavity in 

 which it lay feemed exactly fitted to the fize of the animal, 

 but was exceedingly fmooth in the infide. No opening 

 could be obferved through which it was poflible for it to 

 have got into the ftone. After fome fearch, however, a hole 

 was difcovered at the furface of the earth, which extended to 

 the depth of twelve toifes; but ceafed at the difiance of 

 thirteen inches above the cavity that contained the toad. 

 M. Gerhard confiders it as very probable that this aperture 

 had formerly extended to the cavity, into which the egg of 

 a toad might have been conveyed by water; and that the 

 opening muft afterwards have been clofed up near the cavitv. 

 "J he toad, however, muft have remained long in this ftate ; 

 for fuch apertures do not clofe up foon, and a long time is 

 required for the petrifaction of earthy particles *. 



M. le Cat t, «'ho relates many inftances of the like kind, 

 examines the pofiibility of them, and the caufes of fuch phe- 

 nomena. Some philofophers have been of opinion, that the 

 eggs of thefe animals, created by the Supreme Being at the 

 beginning of the world, and floating about on the watery 

 expanfe, have fince that time been inclofedjn the interior 

 parts of the rocks. But M. le Cat contradicts this opinion 

 by remarking that the creation of an egg is not fufficient, 

 and that it muft be hatched in order to produce a living 

 creature. He confiders it alfo as impoffible that fuch ani- 



' S<.e Nouveaux Memoires de l'Acad. des Sciences ct Belles Lettrcs de 

 Prufle pour l'annce 1782. Berlin 17S4, 4to. p. 13. 



\ In Du Lac Melanges d'Hifloire Katurelle, vol. iv- p. C15. 



mals 



