280 Geological Poems. 



Then Alcyonites^^, Nautilites^ '^j graced a tureen, 

 With Belemnites tastefully stuck in between. 

 The Oolites were served with a wondrous profusion 

 Of Bivalves, dished up in apparent contusion. 

 There Trigonias'^, Anomias, and Areas were placed, 

 And each rock took the species that tickled his taste. 101 



At this juncture some Limpets^ ^ were sent in on one dish, 

 From our worthy friend Halifax, vicar of Standish. 

 Now oviparous creatures, in which the back-bone is^o^ 

 Were hash'd with remains of the Cornua Ammonis. 

 They were bringing in more; but great Neptune cried "Halt! 106 

 Place no vertebral animal lower than Salt^i; 

 Those grits, and those shales, hold inflammable matter, 

 Let no lizards or fishes e'er smoke on their platter : 

 Give them fern-leaves, and palm-stalks, and such like spare 

 diet, no 



And Coal and Pyrites will keep very quiet. 

 The Great Limestone full plates of Encrini will want, 

 To some of the others a few you may grant : 

 Feed the lower with Coral ; and some of the Slates 

 May have Shell-fish most sparingly spread on their plates. 115 

 The eldest born Limestone, whose colour so white is, 

 Of Mica and Talc-slate the well known delight is ; 

 With Granite and all the old Rocks she shall fare. 

 And dine on bright Crystals, both costly and rare." 

 The commands of great Neptune were duly observed, 

 And their dinner in state was most splendidly served. 

 Yellow Topaz, red Garnets, and Emeralds, we're told, 

 Were sent under covers of bright burnish'd gold, 

 With Schorl's red and green, and blue Sapphires and Beryl ; 

 But the Muse thought this diet too arid and steril, 125 



16 Alcyonite. A fossil Zoophite, somewhat resembling' a fungus. 



17 Nautilite, the fossil Nautilus. Belemnite : — This well-known fossil, 

 vulgarly called thuuder-bolt, is frequently about the length and thickness of 

 the finger, but is pointed at the lower extremity. It is classed by Lamarck 

 with univalve shells, having many cells, like the Nautilus. It has been 

 sometimes called the straight Nautilus. The genus is extinct. 



18 Trigonias, &c. Some of the genera of Bivalves, common in many 

 limestone strata. 



19 Limpets. This fossil is extremely rare. It is found in the Oolite for- 

 mation, in some quarries near Stroude in Gloucestershire. Specimens of it 

 were presented to the author by the Rev. R. H. 



20 Lizards and scaly fish. 



21 Lower than Salt. The author is decidedly of opinion, that all the ac- 

 counts of remains of vertebrated animals found in strata below the red 

 Marie, or Sandstone, containing salt or gypsum, are erroneous, nnd have 

 originated in a mistake respecting the true Geological position of the strata. 

 Fresh water muscles occur rarely in some of the coal-shales of Yorkshire and 

 Derbyshire, and also in Flanders, 



