1 6% Mr. Ray to Br. kobinfon. 



y. Were thefe Bodies produced by a Concretion 

 of Salts, it ieems ftrange to me that there fhould be 

 fuch great Variety of them, and their Shapes fo re- 

 gular and exactly ciixumfcribed $ fo great a Diverfity 

 of Figures arguing a greater Variety of Salts, or of 

 the Modifications and Mixtures of Salts, than are 

 likely to be found in Nature 3 and the curvilineous 

 Concretions of Salts never, that I have yet feen, ap- 

 pearing in that Regularity of Figure, and due Oir- 

 cumfcription, as in thefe Bodies 3 which is an Argu- 

 ment that the Government of fome Principle fuperior 

 to Matter figured and moved in their Formation. 



6. Were thefe Bodies nothing but Concretions of 

 Salts, it feems no lefs ftrange, that fo many Liquors 

 impregnated with all Sorts of Salts and mineral Juices 

 in all Proportions, having been at one time or other 

 inchiftrioufly or .accidentally expofed to cryftallize, 

 and let ftand long in VefTels, there fhould never be 

 found in them any fuch Concretions : For if any had 

 happened, we fliould doubtlefs have heard of them, 

 and the Obfervers would have improved fuch an Ex- 

 periment to the Production of the like Bodies at their 

 Pleafure, which would have been a fufficient Refuta- 

 tion of the Opinion I incline to. 



Some of the Arguments againfl this Opinion admit 

 of an eafy Solution. Others I do not fee any way 

 as yet to anfwer, but by granting that many Sorts of 

 Shells are wholly loft, or at leaft out of our Seas, 

 Others, as the three lift of Dr. Plot^ do hitherto 

 puzzle me, and put me to a Stand. 



As for what Dr. Plot produces out of Camden and 

 Childrey^ in Confirmation of his fourth Argument, 

 miz. that the Opbiomorphites of Cainejham have fome 

 of them Heads.* I doubt not but it is a Miftake, pro- 

 ceeding from their Credulity. For Mr. Willughhy 

 and my felf enquiring diligently there after fuch Stones, 

 the common People affirmed, that there were fuch 

 found, we not fansfied with their Aflertion, but defi- 



rous 



