182 Notes and Comments. 
FOSSIL MEN. 
‘The neighbourhood of Whitby abounds with natural 
curiosities ; and the various petrifactions almost everywhere 
found in the alum rocks, have long excited wonder, and puzzled 
philosophy. Besides the petrified : shells of sea-fish, etc... . some 
others have been found in the scarr, or cliff, on the east side 
of the mouth of the Eske, which cannot be arranged under 
any class. In the early part of the last [XVILIth] century, 
Dr. Woodward dug up on the scarr the petrified arm and hand 
of a man, in which all the bones and joints were perfectly 
visible, and seemed regularly formed with cavities for the mar- 
row. About the year 1743, the Rev. Mr. Borwick found in 
the alum-rock the complete skeleton, or petrified bones of a man ; 
but although the utmost caution was used in digging it up, it 
was broken into several pieces, and greatly mutilated; in 
that condition, however, it was sent to one of our universities 
as a great curiosity.’ 
A CROCODILE AND A HORSE. 
‘ After this, in the year 1758, the petrified bones of a crocodile, 
an animal never known in this part of the world, were taken 
out of the rock; and these, though broken into many pieces, 
were sent up to the Royal Society, of which a particular account 
may be seen in the Philosophical Transactions, Vol, L. Part II. 
And about four years afterwards, the skeleton, or petrified 
bones of a horse, were found in the alum works at Saltwick, 
at the depth of about thirty yards under ground, which were 
taken up with much care, though not without being considerably 
broken, and sent as a natural rarity to the university of Aber- 
deen.’ 
SNAKESTONES 
‘Among the curiosities which abound on this part of the 
coast, are the ammonite, or snake stones, found in almost 
every place where the alum-rock exists, and particularly in 
Whitby scarr, between high-water and low-water mark. 
This scarr or rock is formed by a stratum of alum-mine, 
nearly on a level with the surface of the ocean ; and the snakes 
are all inclosed in hard elliptical stones, which seem to have been 
stuck therein, being coiled up in spiral volutes, and every- 
where resembling that animal in their form and shape, save 
only in the head, which is always wanting. . They are of two 
different species |!], some of them being round- bodied fluted, or 
infulated, while others are flat-bodied. ridged on their backs, 
and pitted on their sides.’ 
OF TWO SPECIES. 
The round-bodied snakes are girt, or encompassed from 
end to end with semi-circular channels, or cavities, the appear- 
Naturalist, 
