t 119 ] 



in many Parts of Eyigland \ and the com- 

 mon People have a Notion that they are 

 always to be met with after a Thunder 

 Storm. They are often enclofed in. Or 

 adhere to other Stones, and are moft 

 frequent amongft Gravel, or in Clay ; 

 they abound in GloafterJIiire^ and are found 

 near Dedington in Oxford/litre^ where they 

 fometimes contain the Silver Marcafite. 



AJleri^e^ Star-ftones. Thefe are fmall 

 fhort angular or fulcated Columns, be- 

 tween one and two Inches long, and fel- 

 dom above a third of an Inch in Diameter : 

 compofed of feveral regular Joints ; when 

 feparated, each refembles a radiated Star 

 fome have four, others five Rays or Points, 

 either lharp or rounded. The feveral 

 Joints in the fame Specimen are ufually 

 of the fame Thicknefs. The After ia is 

 alfo called Jftrites^ Jftroites and Afterifcus, 

 They may be reduced to two Kinds ; 

 thofe whofe whole Bodies make the Form 

 of a Star, and thofe which in the whole 

 are irregular, but are adorned as it were 



with 



