508 Rafmesque' s Atlantic Journal. 



fires ; the ramparts of loose stones, which characterize such fortified sites, serving 

 the additional purpose of cairns on which such fuel was placed. 



" And sixthly : That the intensity of fusion exhibited on the vitrified sites, is 

 no less referable to the forest trees which, on such occurrences, extravagantly 

 blazed, than to the incessant hostile invasions which caused beacon fires to be 

 lighted. But while I state these, my present conclusions, (for it is possible I may 

 yet make some little modification in them,) I would not renounce the idea, that 

 other public occasions, as, for instance, the annual lighting up of the fire of the 

 belting, might have assisted, though in a subordinate degree, towards producing 

 the vitrified effects, which continue to be the astonishment of all who are con- 

 versant with their extent. 



" But I must now conclude, as I have already exceeded the limits which I had 

 at first assigned to it. The interest which continental geologists have begun to 

 take in the varied eifects of ignition which these vitrified sites display, has natu- 

 rally made them curious regarding their mysterious history ; which circumstance 

 is the only apology I can offer for making your Journal, on this occasion, a me- 

 dium of pure antiquarian inquiry. In some future number, I hope to render you 

 acquainted with the mineralogical observations of M. Von Leonhard, on the speci- 

 mens examined by him from the vitrified sites of Scotland." F. 



RAFINESQUE'S ATLANTIC JOURNAL. 

 Enumeration and Account of some remarkable natural objects of the 

 Cabinet of Professor Bqfinesqiie, in Philadelphia ; being Animals, 

 Shells, Plants, and Fossils, collected by him in North America, 

 between 1816 and 1831. Philadelphia, November, 1831. 



Atlantic Journal, or Friend of Knowledge / a Cyclopedic Journal 

 and Revieiv of Universal Science and Knowledge; Historical, 

 Natural, and Medical Arts and Sciences : Industry, Agriculture, 

 Education, and every kind of useful Kfiowledge. With numerous 

 figures. Editor, C. S. Rafinesque. 



We had occasion, in our February number, to animadvert 

 upon the injustice Professor Rafinesque had received, in relation 

 to the bivalve shells of the river Ohio : we were led to this purely 

 from a desire to strengthen the interests of natural science, by 

 vindicating the claims of its votaries to fair dealing, and without 

 any reference whatever to personal sympathies and antipathies. 

 We again take up the pen in behalf of the interests of natural 

 science, though we do not believe that upon the present occasion 

 our remarks v/ill divert Mr. Rafinesque as much as they will 

 our general readers. In some branches of natural history, the 

 active labours of this natural, historical, medical, and universal 



