21 



neous opinions which had been entertained respecting these parti- 

 cular substances. In this century also, John Johnston, in the No- 

 titia Regni Mineralis, Lipsice, 1661, described several petrified shells: 

 he also particularly treated of the Cornu Ammonis, but evidently 

 without supposing it to have been a shell. Numerous accounts 

 were given respecting the astonishing properties which some of 

 these figured stones possessed : and so fabulous and absurd were the 

 greater part of them, that nothing but the darkness of the age could 

 excuse the positive manner, in which they are related, and the firm 

 belief which some appeared to have placed in them. One of these 

 I will venture to introduce, leaving you to judge from that of the 

 rest. It is related in Historia Nature? Joannis Eusebii Nierembergii. 

 Antverpice, 1635. pag. 430, cap. De Lapide in Insuld Mond. 



" There is here a stone almost shaped like a human thigh, which 

 possesses this wonderful property, that being carried away to any 

 distance, it returns, of itself, the next night ; as has been fre- 

 quently found, by those who reside here. Hence it happened 

 that Count Hugh, having heard of the power of which this stone 

 possessed, had it secured, by strong i/on chains, to another stone, 

 which was much larger than it, and cast at a considerable distance 

 into the sea : but when morning dawned, to the wonder of the 

 multitude, the stone was again found in its former situation. On 

 this account, therefore, it was prohibited, by a public edict of the 

 Count's, that any. one should again attempt its removal. But, it 

 happened, on a time, our author informs us, that a certain country- 

 man, for the sake of making a fair experiment, bound the stone to 

 his thigh directly the thigh became mortified, and the stone 



escaped, and returned to its former situation/' But to return to 



our sketch. To enumerate all the writers on orycto ogy of this 

 period would be unnecessary ; it will be sufficient to mention some 

 of those authors, whose works deserve most particular attention. 



