46 HISTORY OF 



we find fossil-trees, which no doubt once grew 

 upon the earth, as deep, and as much in the body 

 of solid rocks, as these shells are found to be. 

 Some of these fallen trees also have lain at least 

 as long, if not longer, in the earth, than the 

 shells, as they have been found sunk deep in a 

 marly substance, composed of decayed shells, and 

 other marine productions. M. Buffon has prov- 

 ed, that fossiLshells could not have been deposit- 

 ed in such quantities all at once by the flood ; 

 and I think, from the above instance, it is pretty 

 plain, that howsoever they were deposited, the 

 earth was covered with trees before their deposi- 

 tion ; and, consequently, that the sea could not 

 have made a very permanent stay. How then 

 shall we account for these extraordinary appear- 

 ances in nature? A suspension of all assent is 

 certainly the first, although the most mortifying 

 conduct. For my own part, were I to offer a 

 conjecture, and all that has been said upon this 

 subject is but conjecture, instead of supposing 

 them to be the remains of animals belonging to 

 the sea, I would consider them rather as bred in 

 the numerous fresh water lakes that, in primeval 

 times, covered the face of uncultivated nature. 

 Some of these shells we know to belong to fresh 

 waters ; some can be assimilated to none of the 

 marine shells now known :* why, therefore, may 

 we not as well ascribe the productions of all to 

 fresh waters, where we do find them, as we do 

 that of the latter to the sea only, where we 

 never find them ? We know that lakes, and lands 



* Hill's Fossils, p. 641. 



