VOL. XV.]| PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. IQJ 



Several pieces of holly have been put into the lough, but none, that I ever 

 heard of, were ever taken out anywise altered. 



Q, Whether there be any sand-pits near about the lough in which these pieces 

 of wood, we esteem petrified, are found? I never could hear of any such 

 sand-pits, nor that this petrifying virtue was stronger in any such places ; there 

 is a greater quantity of these stones found in the adjacent ground; and when 

 ground is newly broke, usually turned up in ploughing. 



10. Whether the earth or sand about this lough be indued with this quality ? 

 That this virtue is certainly, if not only, in the ground or soil, I judge for these 

 reasons: that there are many stones turned up daily, especially at their breaking 

 up new ground, which we cannot in any probability think were brought thither; 

 they are often found at 2 miles distance from the lough, seldom further, in 

 great numbers, and very deep in the ground ; now for what use and reason they 

 should be brought thither I cannot imagine; but because there may lie excep- 

 tions against this reason I shall produce another, which I believe will plainly 

 prove this assertion, it being matter of fact. The gentleman on whose credit 

 I received this information had occasion one day to survey a part of his own 

 land, and at a small distance from the lough he saw a stump of a tree just dug 

 out of the ground, which by handling of it he found petrified ; his servant that 

 dug it up, standing by him, told him he had just rooted it out of the ground ; 

 he assured me the roots and all were stone, and altogether like those stones that 

 are usually found, and go by the name of Lough-neagh stones. This certainly 

 proves the soil to have this petrifying virtue, which was never yet proved of the 

 water. This gentleman was of opinion these were lapides sui generis, till this 

 observation convinced him; and I believe the wood, which I before mentioned 

 that was found by the fishermen petrified, owes its petrifaction to the soil, and 

 not to the water. But that these stones were once wood, is I think very certain, 

 for they show the plain vestigia of wood, they likewise burn and cleave; filings 

 of this stone thrown in the fire emit a fragrant smell ; they cut kindly with a 

 knife, though not so easily, as other wood ; but had they none of these pro- 

 perties, the instance now alleged, I think, is as convincing as demonstration. 



Histories Convulsionum Periodicarum per Clariss. Z)"""" Chzil. Cole, M. D. rfe- 

 scriptce, et communicatee. Convukionis Quintanam ohservantis Periodum, 

 Abridged and translated from the Latin. N° 174, p. 1113. 



' A lady, who had been the mother of several children, was taken in labour 

 rather before her time; and after an alarming flooding was delivered of a dead 

 child. This event was followed by convulsions, which attacked her at intervals 

 for many months afterwards. At length she got better, but not so much so as 



