176 NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY, 



The ceraunei lapide, thunderbolts, which were formerly ao 



ftones. 



counted thunder-Hones, are now unanimously allowed to be ftones 

 artificially wrought into axes, hammers, wedges, and knives, 

 which in the heathenifh times were ufed at liich facriflces, as, ac- 

 cording to their fuperftition, did not admit the ufe of a tool, or 

 inftrument of any other fubftance; they are found both here and 

 in Denmark, and chiefly on fuch eminences as were appointed for 

 facrificing. I have them of different fubftances, colour, flze, and 

 figure. The laft has the ftrongeft marks of being the work of 

 art and not a natural form, efpecially in thofe which have a cir- 

 cular hole where the handle or grafp was inferted. 

 Eagic-ftone. Aetites, or the eagle-ftone, is found here as in other parts in 

 the nefts of eagles, who, probably, lay it there, to moderate the 

 violent heat exhaling from the breaft of the dam, the eagle being 

 a bird of extreme heat. They are generally of a dark yellow, 

 oblong, and conical at both ends. I have one, which when 

 fhook, rattles, fome folid body unqueftionably being inclofed 

 Mefeurs, therein. Of the feveral virtues afcribed to it, Ol. Wormius dif- 

 p ' ?8 ' courfes more than becomes him, fancy and fuperftition having in 

 my opinion the greateft fhare in them. 



SECT. XII. 



stones plain- I fliall now in a few words mention fome pieces of Ront in my 

 lLwbb n - g collection, which at flrft fight confirm what I have before faid on 

 foftTncffluki tne origin of rocks, namely, that the fubftance of marble, and of 

 indurated enl7 tne m °ft °^ en ^ e anc * *°^ ft° nes were formerly, and probably at the 

 Plate 15. t ^ me Q £ ^ Jelugej foft and fluid, but afterwards coagulated or 

 fubflded into their prefent fituation, like metals after fuflon. Of 

 this I fay, four pieces of ftone are palpable proofs; the flrft has 

 very much the appearance of a fmall parcel of hog's-briftles, with 

 their thick ends inverted againft each other, and with a ftraight- 

 nefs which fhews the rapidity of their fluid motion, this piece is 

 white; the fecond piece is a connexion of feveral very remarkable 

 diftincl: quadrangular parts, each of the length of a larding-pin, 

 but of the thicknefs of a ftraw, pafting through each other fome- 

 times longitudinally, fometimes tranfverfally ; it is of a dark 

 brown, and vitreous. The third piece confifts of long, fine, light- 

 grey ftrias, ten and more in a fucceftion, and others of a like fl- 

 1 gure 



