234 THE HISTORY OF GEOLOGY 



are : " There is no other Principle that we yet know 

 of naturally shooting into Figures, each peculiar to their 

 own kind, but Salts, thus Nitre always shoots into 

 Pyramids, salt Marine into Cubes, Alum into Octo' 

 and Sal Ammoniac into Hexahedrums, and other mixt 

 Salts into as niixt Figures. 



" Of these spontaneous inclinations of Salts each 

 peculiar to its Kind, we have further evidence in the 

 Chymical Anatomy of Animals, particularly in the 

 Volatile Salt of Harts-horn, which in the Beginning 

 of its Ascent is always seen branched in the Head of 

 the Cucurbit, like the Natural Horn. And we are told 

 by the very ingenious and learned Sidleyian Professor 

 here in Oxon, That the Salt of Vipers ascends in like 

 manner, and shoots into Shapes somewhat like those 

 of Animals, placed orderly in the Glass. Thus in Con- 

 gelations, which are all wrought by adventitious Salts, 

 we frequently find curious 'Ramifications, as on Glass- 

 windows in Winter, and the figured Flakes of Snow, 

 of which Mr. Hook observed above an Hundred several 

 sorts, yet all of them branched as we paint Stars, with 

 six principal Radii of equal Length, Shape and Make, 

 issuing from a Center, where they all joined in Angles 

 of 60 Degrees. 



"What Salt it should be that gives this Figure, 

 though it would be hard to determine, yet certainly 

 it must not be a much different one from that which gives 

 Form to our Astroites and Asterice, whereof, though the 

 latter have but five Points, and therefore making Angles 

 where they are joined at the Center of 72 Degrees : yet 

 the Astroites both in mezzo Bilievo and Intagli have 

 many more. 



''Perhaps there may be something of an Antimonial 

 Salt that may determine Bodies to this Starry Figure, 

 as no Question it does in the Hegulus, and the Caput 



