328 M E M O I R S of the 
'Plifiy and Martial mention feveral animals found buried in 
amber ^ M. llartynan reckoned above 50 fpecies of iniecls in 
pieces he had by him, as flies, fpidcrs, gnats, ants, butterflies, 
bees, r/ulkpedes^ moths, mites, cankerworms, beetles, ^c. ibme 
authors mention more perfe6l animals incloied in amber, as frogs, 
lizards and fmall fifhes, but the truth of this may be fuipected, 
fince it is found that fmall fifhes may by art be included in am- 
ber : To diftinguifh that amber, in which nature has incloied 
thefe animals from that in which art has included them 5 we 
may obferve that in the former the inledt is not far from the fur- 
face, but in the other it is in the centre, for the amber-polifhers 
could not lb well conceal their art if they had put their animals 
in the fuperflcial parts, for the tranfparent plates of amber would 
dilcover the cheat 5 if the amber wherein the animals are incloied 
beiblid, clear, free of cracks and without a contexture of different 
crufts, it is a lure lign that it is artificial 5 for generally the parts 
of amber glebes wherein animals are repofited, as M. Hartman 
obferved a thoufand times, either cohere like bark, or are inter- 
fed^ed every way with fiffures, in which fome parts of the animal 
appear externally 5 the condition of the animals within the amber 
is different, Ibme are covered with dirt, fome are clear and fome 
glittering with an amber brightnefs 5 you may alfo oblerve Ibme 
to be lively, and others languilhing, and fome as if they were 
attempting to extricate themfelves from their prifon ; in fome 
amber whole Iwarms of infeds both of the fame, and different 
kinds are obferved. 
Hence arifes a queilion much agitated amongft the curious, 
how amber comes thus to have animals inclofed in it ? A great 
many, puzzled with the difficulty, contend that amber is the 
juice of a tree, as if animals could be more eafily entangled in 
the refinous and gummy juices of trees 5 but experience does not 
fupport this; for it has not hitherto been dilcovered that infedls 
are incloied in great numbers, if in any at all, cither in refinous 
or gummy juices, for they are leen flicking externally thereto and 
not included in lb liquid a fubftance; others again have denied 
them to be real animals, and pretend that it is a mere delufion 5 
but any one may be fatisfied to the contrary, by viewing a piece 
of broken or cut amber, for there ftill remain evident traces of 
the infe£ts. 
The better to underfland how infe61s are fatally buried in am- 
ber, wc need only reflefl that it is ulual for them upon a violent 
ftorm or rigorous fealons to leek for flielter in caverns, and 
there lie buried in fleep; and when the bituminous exhalations, 
eol- 
