157 



succeeding mineralogists. Lhwydd, however, in his letter to Dr. Ri- 

 chardson, in 1698, offers some very rational opinions respecting the 

 origin of these bodies : having, as he observes, suspected that every 

 species of entrochus had proceeded from some kind of sea-star, he 

 was induced, supported by the arguments contained in this letter, to 

 positively assert, that to be the fact, which before he had only sus- 

 pected. He also contributed much to promote the knowledge of 

 these bodies, by the figures of them which he annexed to his work. 

 Lachmiund had, however, preceded him in this respect; having 

 given a series of figures, in which he had marked several of the pecu- 

 liarities of both trochitae and of entrochi. The opinion of Lhwydd 

 was adopted by Langius, Scheuchzer, and others ; whilst Charleton, 

 Mylius, Leibnitz, and especially Buttner, who had so zealously con- 

 tended with Woodward, against the mineral origin of fossil corals, 

 were also convinced of the animal origin of these bodies ; although 

 they did not pretend to determine to what kind of animal they had 

 belonged. 



Hellwing, although aware that Mylius had referred the trochitae, 

 c. to the animal kingdom, and that Lhwydd had imagined them to 

 have belonged to some species of the sea-star, formed the opinion that 

 they were rather referrable to the fossil corals ; and, of course, consi- 

 dered these bodies, with the corals, as belonging to the vegetable king- 

 dom. Lesser, in his work entitled Litho-theology, as well as Haren- 

 berg, who had paid very considerable attention to this species of fos- 

 sil, were also satisfied of their vegetable origin. 



To this opinion of their vegetable origin, our celebrated country- 

 men, Ray and Lister, agreed : they, however, contributed considera- 

 bly to increase the knowledge respecting them, by collecting and 

 comparing various specimens. In this work they were much assisted 

 by Mr. Beaumont, by whose industry several very valuable remains 

 of these animals were collected. I shall here introduce the opinion 

 of this gentleman respecting their original nature, since it will serve 



