278 KALM'S ENGLAND. 



ordinary flint, which in Hertfordshire occurs everywhere 

 on the fields. I made the suggestion that it might 

 be some kind of limestone that resembled flint. 

 They answered ' No,' but that it was the same 

 ordinary flint as occurs here on the fields, and that 

 which is used to strike fire with, but the manner in 

 which it is burned to lime they were unable to describe. 

 The smith at Little Gaddesden and another old man also 

 confirmed the same — viz., that in some places they burn 

 lime from flint, and added that [T. I. p. 275] this lime is 

 very good and strong, and better than other lime ; also 

 that it is a special way how they burn flints to lime, which 

 these men, however, had not themselves understood. Mr. 

 Ellis also told me that he heard told as a fact that lime 

 is in some places burnt from flint, but that he himself 

 had never seen it done. The truth, however, seems to 

 result in this, that it is some particular kind of limestone 

 which in colour, shape and hardness tolerably resembles 

 flint, and it is of this the lime is burnt, but strangers 

 mistake it for flint ; for it is somewhat difficult to believe 

 that ' ordinair Plinta skal sa latt g& til kalk,' 

 ordinary flint will so easily change to lime ! 



Petrifications in Chalk. 



At Ivinghoe, also, several related that everywhere 

 here lime is burnt from ordinary chalk, but as I made the 

 suggestion that it might be some kind of limestone which 

 resembled chalk, the landlord, Husbcmden, went into 

 the house, i garden, and produced, tog fram, a piece 

 of ordinary chalk and showed that it was of this that 

 lime is here burnt. When we began to examine the piece 

 of chalk we found several mussel-shells imbedded in it. 

 We broke the piece of chalk asunder, when shells like 

 mussel-shells, likaledes mussel-skalen, were found 

 inside it, which were all of the kind which are called 



