but to place them in the situation and order in which 

 they are found, and to change their substance, with 

 the surrounding matter, into solid stone, seem? to 

 require the existence of laws, and the operation of 

 agents of which no human mind has, hitherto, formed 

 a just conception. 



AVhat were the principles of those laws, or the na- 

 ture and character of the agents employed in the pro- 

 duction of these wonderful phenomena, it would be 

 not only hazardous but the height of folly, in the 

 present instance, to attempt a definition Opinions, 

 however, have been advanced on a subject intimately, 

 if not immediately allied, and some of which are 

 truly worthy of notice. 



La Place, in his " Exposition du systeme du 

 monde, tome zd, page 301, in 8vo, asserts that the 

 terrestrial globe, with the other planetary bodies has 

 been formed by the concretion of an aeriform fluid 

 emanating from the sun. 



Of this opinion, however, 1 have nothing to say, no 

 further at least, than to observe, that from it, it is pie- 

 genera sparus, labrus, and tetrodon. They bore the appearance of 

 not having been long killed, from the freshness of their colour and 

 the redness ot their gills. 



' In the evening we passed another shoal of dead fish, which had 

 become quite white and putrid." Of the cause of the death of 

 these fishes there can remain no doubt ; yet, Mr. Salt observes, 

 ; an otcurrecjce of t:is nature is extremely raie, especially in 

 deep water, and 1 cannot in any way account for it.*' (Salt's Tra- 

 vels, page 81.) 



