10 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1755. 



destroyed much coffee. At the island of Sabia, it flowed 21 feet; and at St. 

 ^lartin's, a sloop, that rode at anchor in 1 5 feet water, was laid dry on her 



broadside. • " 



CIF. Of a Remarkable Fossil. By Edward IVright, M. D. p. 670. 



This fossil Dr. W. discovered in a marble table, in an inn at Ghent. This 

 table, the landlord said he purchased at the sale of an ancient family in the 

 neighbourhood, and that he believed the marble was of this country, though he 

 could not be certain. The fossil is what is called by naturalists orthoceratites,* 

 and is one of those which he thinks is never found in its recent state, and are 

 very rare in England. This was by much the largest he ever saw, and exceeds 

 by many inches the longest he has read of. So as we can plainly trace it; it 

 measures 2 feet 4-j-V inches in length. It has originally been several inches 

 longer, as may easily be traced out by continuing the straight lines, which ter- 

 minate its edges, till they meet in a point. These shells are of the concamerated 

 kind, and in this 66 partitions may be distinctly counted, and it must certainly 

 have had a considerable number more, which are hid by the end part being im- 

 mersed too deep in the marble. The marble, in which it is immersed, is of a 

 coarse grain, and of a dusky brown colour, interspersed with a dirty white: of 

 this colour the shell itself is tinged, and all its concamerations filled with the 

 stalactical matter of the marble. The concamerations or partitions of these 

 fossils, resemble those of the nautili, though it would be very improper to give 

 them that name, for this shell is never seen in the seas, nor caught at such depths, 

 as we have had occasion to fathom or search ; hence it can never be classed among 

 the sailors; nor indeed does it seem at all proper for exercising that function, 

 from its long narrow pointed shape, so very different from that boat-like figure 

 requisite for sailing. Its concamerations seem principally intended for performing 

 the motions necessary to the animal, at the bottom of the sea, and at greater 

 depths, from which it does not seem ever to rise to any considerable height. 



Cr. Of the Orthocer allies. By Edward Wright, M. D. p. 672. 



In this account Dr. Wright apologises for dissenting from some of the opi- 

 nions of BufFon, and other naturalists, in some particulars. The orthoceratites, 

 says he, is one of those shells which are never found in the recent state, and is 

 to be classed among conchae pelagiae of the naturalists, which never approach 

 the shore, but continue always at great depths of the sea, contrary to the litto- 

 rales, which frequent the shores and shallow places; and hence, when found 

 fossil, are easily to be matched with recent specimens. 



• Helminthohthus orthoceratites. Linn. 



