VOL. XLIV.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. '233 



Dr. M. fired common spirit of wine, at the distance of 25 feet, the effluvia 

 being conveyed by 3 persons and 2 laths of deal, tied together thus: the person 

 to be electrified immediately standing on a cake of wax, and holding one end of 

 the lath, another person standing about the middle of the distance of another 

 cake, and supporting the lath, and a third person at the further end, who held 

 the other end of the lath, and fired the spirit; and sometimes held the spoon, 

 while a fourth person fired them by repulsion. In this experiment instead of 

 common thread, he used silver and gold twist, which he thinks much better than 

 the former. 



An Extract, by Philip Henry Zollman, Esq., F. R. S. of a Philosophical Ac- 

 j count of a new Opinion concerning the Origin of Petrifactions found in the 

 Earth, which has been hitherto ascribed to the universal Deluge; as contained 

 in an Italian Book, entitled, De Crostacei ed altri marini Corpi che se trovano 

 su Monti, di Anton. Lazzaro Moro, Venice, 1740. Communicated with 

 several Remarks, by Dr. Balthasar Ehrhart, Physician in Ordinary at Mem- 

 mingen, and Member of the Acad. Nat. Curios, in High- Dutch at Memmingen, 

 1745, 4to. N" 479, p. 163. 



The Italian author has adopted a new system concerning marine petrifaction, 

 the cause of which he refers to fire instead of water, according to the opinion 

 commonly received. The place of his abode has furnished him with particular 

 opportunities of comparing marine petrifactions found in the mountains with the 

 true marine bodies produced by the sea. This place is called San Vito di Taglia- 

 mento, 6 hours journey from Venice, under the Bishop of Concordia, belonging 

 to the Patriarch of Aquileia. 



The author is a clergyman, who keeps a boarding-school for young men. 

 He has published the book in question at his own expence, in which he shows a 

 great conformity to the principles of Sir Isaac Newton, and other modern philo- 

 sophers, not very common in Italy, grounding himself on experience, and ma- 

 thematical proofs. 



Having in the first part formed the state of the question, he examines the 

 systems of Burnet and Woodward, almost generally received by the learned, 

 though the former does not make any express mention of petrifaction. He refutes 

 their opinions about the deluge, and of its being the cause of petrifactions. He 

 lays down for a fundamental maxim, that the deluge ought to be believed, ac- 

 cording to the scripture, as a miracle, and not to be proved by natural rules; 

 from which he proceeds to another, viz. that whoever lays down for a foundation 

 a principle which does not fit the several phenomena, builds on an erroneous 

 principle. 



After having refuted at large Dr. Woodward's opinions, he proceeds to esta- 



VOL. IX. H H 



