85 



can easily conceive how seeds are transported to a 

 great distance from the place of their growth, by 

 winds, and currents of rivers, in which case they are 

 soon after destroyed, or vegetate anew. But in this 

 instance, it is no easy matter to determine with certain- 

 ty, how these different seeds were transported from a 

 distance, precipitated, or deposited, and preserved in 

 a mass that must have, subsequently, become carbo- 

 nate of lime, unless we admit that they were sudden- 

 ly transported in troubled waters, saturated with earth, 

 as suddenly deposited at that point, perhaps by some 

 whirlpool or eddy, and the superincumbent mass as 

 suddenly changed into lime- stone. 



It is not only necessary that these seeds should be 

 suddenly transported, deposited and fixed in their 

 gangue, if I may so call it, but it is, indispensably ne- 

 cessary that it should have taken place in the autumn 

 or winter immediately after their growth or maturity; 

 and that too, when both the air and water were at such 

 a state of temperature, as to be totally unfavourable to 

 vegetation ; otherwise, these seeds must have germi- 

 nated, and consequently have been destroyed. Ad- 



The same specimen also contains a fruit, which is considered as 

 that of an exotick plant) and on the subject of which Patrin ob- 

 serves, "The learned Jussieu has in possession numerous exam- 

 ples, (of the kind,) very well characterised ; but he has declared 

 that he knows not to what genus it belongs." See Patrin's Natu- 

 ral History of Minerals, Tome 5, page 326 and 7; and also Phil- 

 lip's Description of Organick Remains in the Island of Sheppey. 

 Outline of Mineralogy and Geology, page 96. 



