i6$ 



Mr. Ray to Dr. Robinfon. 



SIR, Bkck Not ley , Ottoh. zz. —84. 



MUCH Controverfy hath of late been concern- 

 ing the Origine of thofe S bell-like Stones^ 

 found in the Earth, either fcatter'd or amafTed, in 

 many Places, both in England and beyond the Seas : 

 That they were the very Shells of fome Sea-fifh, or 

 got this Figure by being caft in fome Animal Mould, 

 is the Opinion I have declared my felf to be moft in- 

 clinable to, as you may fee in my Travels at large 

 from Page 11 3 . to p. 1 3 1 . In Favour whereof I fhall 

 add farther, 



1. That there are whole Beds of the very Shells 

 themfelves unpetrified found in the Earth, and that 

 not only in Plains and Hillocks, fuch as the Apulian 

 about Andria, and the Fufcan about Folterra, may be 

 fuppofed to be 5 but in Mountains of a confiderable 

 Height. Chrifiianus Mentz&lius, in his Difcourfe 

 concerning the Bononian Phosphorus Lapis, gives us a 

 Relation of many Beds of them found mingled with 

 Sand in the upper Part of a high Mountain not far 

 from Bologna in Italy. His Words are thefe* Non 

 procul monti Paterno diffo, lapidis Bononienfis patri^ 

 unico forte milliari Italico difianti, (loci nomen excidit 

 memorid) ingens mons imminet preempt us a violent i a tor- 

 rentium aquarum, quas imbres frequentes ex vicinis 

 montibus confluentes efficiunt, atq\ injignes ten arum mo- 

 les ab ifto monte profternunt ac dejiciunt. In hdc Mon- 

 tis ruind, fuperiore in parte vifuntur mult<e fir ages fe- 

 riefve ex tefiis conchyliorum omnis generis plurimd arend 

 interject a, infiar fir at i fuper firatum (ut Chymicorum 

 vulgus loquitur?) Efi enim inter hafce tefiarum conchy- 



liorunt 



