403 



colours so various, and so different from those of the other parts of 

 the stone. Some, with Mr. Schultz, have been decidedly of opi- 

 nion, that these stellated appearances proceeded from the filling up 

 of the natural pores of the wood, by the infiltration of a stony 

 matter ; the wood being of some exotic, and unknown kind of 

 tree, whose pores were of a stellated form. Some have attributed 

 the tubular part to the labour of some insect of the tubularia or 

 teredo kind ; and which they have imagined has been afterwards 

 selected, by some zoophyte, for its habitation ; whilst others have 

 conceived that the tube, as well as the star-like figure, were both 

 attributable to the same zoophyte. M. Genzmer was of opinion, 

 that these curiously formed bodies were originally a species of stel- 

 lated coral. Mr. Walch, finding a closer resemblance between these 

 bodies and the pentagonal stalks of the pentacrinus, concludes them 

 to have been a species of cartilaginous zoophytes. Mr. Scultz, by 

 rutting a stone containing these substances, in various directions, 

 ascertained that they are continued columnar bodies, some of which, 

 he says, are angular, others cylindrical, and some pyramidal. That 

 they have been a species of columnar asteriae, he thinks, is proved 

 by their longitudinal section displaying stria3 of two or three co- 

 lours ; the colour of the stone, for instance, appearing in a dark line, 

 with a red or whitish line on each side of it, formed by two pro- 

 jecting rays. 



Anxious to form a correct judgment respecting these bodies, I 

 have eagerly furnished myself with every specimen of the kind 

 within my reach ; and imitating the labours of Mr. Schultz, have 

 obtained sections of these bodies in almost every direction ; but, 

 as you will perceive, without obtaining much positive information 

 respecting them. With respect to the first-mentioned opinion, that 

 of these stellated forms being derived from the natural pores of the 

 wood, I have to remark, that they are seen in three states, so widely 

 different as could not at all accord with this opinion. In the one, 



