t 333 ] 



Turnefort again mentions that, " Rocks are peopled and 

 " eaten by fmall worms covered with fhells of a green or afh- 

 " colour '." 



Another argument of mod confiderable weight for the exiftence 

 of fuch infefts, at almoff. any depth, arifes from fuch a vaft 

 mafs of matter as our globe confifts of, under the furface, or even 

 the deepen 1 : of our mines, not contributing to the life or con- 

 veniences of any animal whatfoever, which can fcarcely be fup- 

 pofed, without the ftrongeft and moft irrefragable proof. 



Particular foffils again are commonly found in the fame par- 

 ticular ftrata ; and does not this afford a proof that the infects 

 which inhabit fuch ftrata are the occafion of the lingular bodies 

 which we there difcover ? A general deluge, on the other hand, 

 mull difperfe thefe bodies indifcriminately in every kind of ftrata m . 



Some animals moreover form their fhells by emitting a juice, 

 which fafhions the layers of their habitation. " So the fhells of 

 " (nails and oyfters are formed, their refpeftive animals throwing 

 '* out periodically the ofleous juice, or teftaceous matter, which 

 " adheres to the former fhell, and concretes, and thus the fuc- 

 c< ceffive layers are produced n ." 



As 



1 This circumstance may account for many of the foflil fhells, the 

 living inhabitant of which hath never been difcovered by any natu- 

 ralifh 



01 There are two flone quarries near Swindon in Wiltfhire ; and in that 

 which is at the leafl diflance from the town there are fcarcely any foffils 

 which bear the moft. diftant refemblance to thofe of marine fhells, whereas 

 they are found in confiderable numbers in a quarry at no greater diftance 

 than a -quarter of a mile. This fa ft feems to prove, that the ftrata of 

 the fecond quarry are more convenient to certain in lefts than thofe of 

 the firft, whilft it cannot be fuppofed that this difference is to be attri- 

 buted to a general deluge. 



* Ellis, Ph. Tranf. vol. LXVI. p. 8. 



I do 



