( i7-8 ; 
cies oi ih^ ft l{pc\ plants^ differing outwardly from each 
0|her in their Joyms, Knots, and Sutures, all obferving 
a wonderful regularity* and not one of them to beparal- 
le'rd by any Vegetable thatlknow of in nature. To-an- 
fvver this by faying that all thefe fpecies are loft, I doubt 
will fatisfie few/ efpecially when Ave confider that thefe 
i^^r^-Z^/^^/z^j- are not peculiar to any one place, as toiVf^«- 
dip- Hills , ^c, but are generally found whereever Lead- 
Mines are ( and fometime where there are no Mines ) as 
well in Englajidy as in foreign Countries 5 and therefore 
tho' we may fuppofe that fome particular ]pe,cies of Plants 
growiag only m fome. deternimate place may happen to be 
loft; we cannot well imagine how fo many fpecies diffused 
through fo many parts of , the whole earth, fl:iould all hap- 
pen to be loft together : So that upon the whole this feems 
CO me a conliderable objection, againft rliofe who maintain 
that all figurd Stones in the Earth are petrcfaftions of 
Plants or Animals, to which Opinion Steno^ in his differ- 
tation<ronGerning Solids naturally contain'4 within Solids*, 
adheres^ fn which. Tra£t many ingenious thirigs are/aid 
as well in. reference toiuch petrefa<5lions> as to the frame 
and feveral changes of the Earth in general, from whence 
many apofiteQueries may be drawn to bepropofed to ju-i 
dicicus Miners in all parts who feem the moft likely men 
fof helpitigtb bring thefe points to a determination, they 
being, the beft abk to give an account of matter of Fad. „ 
I cannot but take notice here that Mt'^Haoke^ z worthy^ 
Meriiber of theT^^yW^ori^^y, and well known among the 
ingenious of Eurdpe^ has a long time been of that opinion , 
which .9/^^/2^ endeavours fo^make out, and as }Ai. Oldenburg 
declares in Ihis Preface .to \iisXranJlation\of Stt^ a long 
cinie before -S'/^-^^^'s book came forth^ he had DifcourffS 
ready upon that very Argument, which by reafon of fc^ue 
Avocations he had not let his laft Hand to : And we may 
laope, that notwithftanding this Ap^icipation ma^y W /^"^^ 
iifcourag^ment^ he may. fome :tiaie be preyaird with to 
. com- 
