252 



nous slate of Mansfeldt, that the fish have been suddenly killed by an 

 irruption or instantaneous formation of sulphureo-metallic matter *. 



Nor does the particular circumstance which has been so much insisted 

 upon, as a proof of this opinion of M. Faujas, appear to be at all conclusive. 

 The circumstance to which I allude is, that which is displayed in one of 

 the specimens from Vestena Nuova, in the Museum of Natural History at 

 Paris. In this specimen a pike is seen, which has died, with another 

 fish of the same species still in his throat ; it having been supposed that 

 its instantaneous death was produced by a sudden volcanic irruption into 

 the water, at the moment of its having swallowed its prey. 



The fact, however, really is, that fossil fish are found in all the different 

 quarries in which they exist, in almost every state and position which 

 can be conceived. Sometimes, with their altered flesh still covering 

 their bones, and at other times the skeleton only is preserved. Many 

 are seen laid out in a straight line, but nearly as many are also seen in 

 various contorted positions. 



There are no fossil remains of any class of animals, except, perhaps, 

 of the Crustacea, which accord so much with the existing genera, and 

 even species, as those of fish. The proportion, indeed, of fossil fish, 

 which have existing analogues, is so great, as to render it by no means 

 improbable, considering how frequently, in the present day, new genera 

 are discovered, that the analogues of such as are now only known in a 

 mineralized state may yet be found. 



Among the fossil fish, whose living analogues are known, the pike, 

 the carp, the perch, the eel, the sea-scorpion, the scarus, the mackarel, 

 the turbot, the sword-fish, lod, gadus mustela, gobius, and several others, 

 have been mentioned by different authors, among the fishes found in 

 the neighbourhood of Verona. M. Faujas particularizes a Fistularia, 

 of Japan ; a pegasus, of the Indian Sea and of Brazil ; and three cheto- 

 dons of India. M. Lacepede, in the preliminary discourse to the second 

 volume of his Natural History of Fishes, informs us, that more than 



* System of Mineralogy, by Mr. Jamieson, Vol. I. p. 530. 



