CHAPTER VII. 



OF FORMED STONES. 



[AuBREY, and other writers of his time, designated by this term the fossil remains of antediluvian 

 animals and vegetables. This Chapter is very brief in the manuscript ; and the following are the 

 only passages adapted for this publication. 



The numerous excavations which have been made in the countv since Aubrey's time have led to 

 the discovery of a great abundance of organic remains ; especially in the northern part of the countv, 

 from Swindon to Chippenham and Box. Large collections have been made by Mr. John Provis and 

 Mr. Lowe, of Chippenham, which it is hoped will be preserved in some public museum, for the 

 advantage of future geologists. J. B.] 



THE stones at Easton-Piers are full of small cockles no bigger than silver half-pennies. Tin- 

 stones at Kington St. Michael and Dracot Cerne are also cockley, but the cockles at Dracot bigger. 

 Cockleborough, near Chippenham, hath its denomination from the petrified cockles found there in 

 great plenty, and as big as cockles. Sheldon, in the parish of Chippenham, hath its denomination 

 from the petrified shells in the stones there. 



At Dracot Cerne there is belemiiites, as also at Tytheringtoii Lucas. They are like hafts ot 

 knives, dimly transparent, having a seame on one side. 



West from Highworth, towards Cricklad, are stones as big, or bigger than one's head, that lie 

 common even in the highway, which are petrified sea-mushromes. They looke like honeycombs, 

 but the holes are not hexagons, but round. They are found from Lydiard Tregoze to Cumnor in 

 Barkshire, in which field I have also seen them. [See page 9. J. B.] 



At Steeple Ashton are frequently found stones resembling the picture of the unicorne's horn, but 

 not tapering. They are about the bignesse of a cart-rope, and are of a reddish gray colour. 



In the vicaridge garden at Bower Chalke are found petrified oyster shells ; which the learned 

 Mr. Lancelot Morehouse, who lived there some yeares, assured me : and I am informed since that 

 there are also cockle shells and sealop shells. Also in the parish of Wotton Basset are found petrified 

 oyster shells ; and there are also found comua ammonis of a reddish gray, but not very large. 

 About two or three miles from the Devises are found in a pitt snake-stones (cornua ammonis) no 

 bigger than a sixpence, of a black colour. 



Mr. John Beaumont, Jun r ., of Somersetshire, a great naturalist, tells me that some-where by 

 Chilmarke lies in the chalke a bed of stones called echini marini. He also enformes me that, east 

 of Bitteston, in the estate of Mr. Montjoy, is a spring, they call it a holy well, where five-pointed 

 stones doe bubble up (Astreites) which doe move in vinegar. 



At Broad Chalke are sometimes found cornua ammonis of chalke. I doe believe that they 

 might be heretofore in as great abundance hereabout as they are about Caynsham and Burnet 

 in Somersetshire; but being soft, the plough teares them in pieces; and the sun and the frost 

 does slake them like lime. They are very common about West Lavington, with which the 

 right honourable James, Earle of Abington, has adorned his grotto's there. There are also some 

 of these stones about Calne. 



