326 MEM O IR S of tbe 
cryftals and ftrcaks of fait, that penetrate into the innermoft 
fibres of the wood, are of a nitrous nature. In order to account 
for the generation of amber, we are to luppofe that the foil in 
^rujjia'is of a bituminous nature^ for the country people often 
find great lumps of condenled bitumen, that lay concealed in the 
earth or clay ; and M. Hartman himfelf faw a piece taken out 
of the clay not far from Koningsherg weighing feveral pounds, 
and he was credibly informed that little brooks of oil fprang out 
of the earth, and there are bituminous turf dug up in feveral 
places j h that the lubterraneous heat collects into drops, elpe- 
cially from the barley or woody matrix, the exhalations of bitu- 
men difperfed thro' the bowels of the earth 5 and at the fame 
time pervades the neighbouring falts, and, carrying their efflu- 
via along with it, mixes them with the bituminous drops j the 
laline Splcula^ wedged into the matrix, fix the bitumen and 
bring it to a confidence, and if there are no new lupplies of bitu- 
minous drops, the glebe or lump takes its form according to the 
iize of its matrix within the wood; and thefe parts, thus aflb- 
ciated, produce amber 5 which is clearer, more tranfparent, bet- 
ter fcented and firmer, according to the purity and proportion of 
the bituminous and faline exhalations 5 and this is the true pro- 
dudion of amber. 
Some doubt whether the produ6^ion of that amber thrown up 
by the fea is to be accounted for in the fame manner 5 but feeing 
it is commonly known that the rocks in the lea have been rent 
and torn to pieces by the violence of ftorms, and by that means 
have yielded amber in greater and lefler quantities, according to 
the more flight or more violent breaking afunder of thefe rocks ; 
the fame manner of generation may be alfo affigned for this fpe- 
cies of amber. M. Hartman knew amber taken out of the fto- 
mach of animals, which made fome by miftake fay it was gene- 
rated there, and he was informed by the people that live on the 
Sambian coaft, that animals of all kinds, both terreftrial and 
aquatic, greedily fwallow down the amber glebes, which are 
often found in their bowels : Ravens and crows come down in fuch 
numbers, that in the evening they are obliged to drive them away 
and feveral fmall pieces are found in their excrements under the 
trees where they perch ; he had feen feveral pieces that had been 
fwallowed by afles, the largeft of which was three fingers long 
and two broad , there was a curious amber ball taken out of the 
ventricle of a ibeep, which by lying there contra6led a whiti/li 
crufl, and after an amber-polifher had fliaved it off, it appeared 
to confilt of feveral glebes, which were reduced into this form 
by 
