of the P Y % i t e s. yi 



dogs ; but now I am fully convinced of the cer- 

 tainty of both : of the former, from a particular 

 treadle of M. Verdries; and of the latter, from 

 many inftances ; in particular, from my own in- 

 fpeddon of a fample, to which there flill adhered 

 a piece of the jaw, in the pofTeflion of Dr. Butt- 

 ner, of Chemnitz. Further, from the fubilance 

 and nature -of fuch foflile bodies, remaining, often, 

 quite unaltered, their origin is plainly manifefted ; 

 alio from the mix /- works \ and, laftly, from their 

 irregular portion ; in reality, not owing to their 

 natural tendency, but to fome external, irrefiftable 

 force i whence it is no improbable conclufion, 

 that nothing lefs than the univerfal deluge could 

 have buried the parts of animals and plants at fuch 

 a depth in the earth. 



Now as both the copper-pyrites, and alfo the 

 often intermixed iron-pyrites flat work lie in, un- 

 der, and above fuch petrified remains of the de- 

 luge, how can we here poflibly go fo far back as 

 the creation, and there begin with the deluge, or 

 call in queftion the exiftence of fuch ore in that 

 very place and fpot before, and only allow its 

 having arifen firft of all after the deluge r three 

 circumftances which, if not entirely convincing, 

 yet, being of fome weight, render the thing pro- 

 bable. 



The firft regards the fir at a, or beds of earth, 

 conflituting both the under and upper bed of the 

 pyrites \ fome of which I have before mentioned, 

 from M. Mylius, and others : thefe lie in different 

 forms, in various fhelves, or fir at a, cover-wife, 

 one over the other ; which we may juftly attribute 

 to an horizontal, or level motion, and this mo- 

 tion to a floating or wavy flood. The undermoft 

 often reach to 10, 20, 30 fathom, and more ; fo 

 that they cannot be afcribed to any partial or pro- 

 vincial inundation : and laftly, they fhew their fe- 



p 4 paratiou 



