446 
THE GEOLOGIST. 
quadrupedia. In summitate Jiumance faciei quid simile : Ex Aldobrandino 
extractum. 2. Monstrat varias reriim formas partesque aiiinialium, tam 
volucrium quam quadrupedum, qiiamyis valde iraperfectas, quarum ra- 
tionem dedimus in disquisitione ph3"sica. 3. Duarum avium imagines 
monstrat, quas in Ecclesia S. Georgii Yenetiis in marmore a natura ex- 
pressas refert Ambrosinus. 4. iS^octuse caput domonstrat, circumdatum 
aliis avium rudimentis. 5. Motacillae, sive, ut alii volunt, Pavonis figuram 
exprimit. 6. Monstrificae volueris figuram docet. 7. Merulse figuram 
exprimit." 
It is necessary to add in this place the inscriptions inserted in 
Kircher's plate under the figures, and for convenience' sake we give 
the references to his own instead of our plate. 
Fig. 1. Ciconise et Noctuse figurse. Fig. 2. Confusae rerum variarum 
formse. Fig. 3. Yenetiis in temple S. Georgii. Fig. 4. Caput Noctuae. 
Fig. 5. Figura Motacillae. Fig. 6. Animalis jubati. 
In Eitter we find a cross-reference to Seyfrid's 'Medulla Mira- 
bilium JSTaturse,' p. 437 ; but on turning to the work,* we find in 
the subjects treated there nothing relating to birds. The passage at 
p. 437 runs, roughly translated, thus : — 
" In America, about Chili, there is on a mountain plenty of pre- 
cious stones. In a cavern, the image of the Most Holy Virgin, with 
her baby in her arms ; admired by all spectators." 
Turning over to p. 438, we read that at "half a mile from the con- 
vent Michelfield is a quarry, where stones forming round plates, and 
bowls, are so perfectly manufactured by nature, that the people never 
want any china or earthen vessels for domestic purposes." 
In glancing over the pages, however, we come upon a passage at 
page 458, of which the following is a translation : — " Even in France, 
at Limans, a village or Provence about a league distant from Forcal- 
quier, a city of good note, there hath been sometime found, in a cer- 
tain mine of a kind of reddish soft stone, a great number of these 
Gamalies, or painted figures, of birds, mice, trees, serpents, and 
letters, so exactly shaped that little children could tell what they 
were. — Gaffarellus''' 
The work of Gaff'arell, from which this extract is made by Seyfrid, 
bears the title of — " Cvriositez inovyes svr la IScvlptvre Talismaniqve 
des Persans. Horoscope des Patriarches, et Lectvre des Estoilles," 
and was published in 1637. f There was an English translation by 
Edmund Chilmead, Master of Arts, and Chaplaine of Christ Church, 
Oxon, printed at London in 1C50. The passage in which, at p. 104, 
is given above as the translation. 
* " Medulla Mirabiliura Naturee. Dasist: Auserlesene, untcr den Wundern der Natar, 
aller verwunderlichste "\Yunder, von Erschaffung der jSatur, Hinnnlischen Firmaments, 
Sternen, Planeten, und Cometen ; als auch dieser sichtbaren "\A'elt, und des Meers. 
P/essgleichen, in Brunnen, Fliissen, Seen, und dem INIeer; Auf, An, und in Gcbiirgen, 
Erdeu, und lusulen ; "Wie auch, etzlichen Thieren, Baumen, Friichten und Gewachsen. 
In Europa, Asia, Africa und America. Aus hiernachst benandten Autoren zusanjmen 
getragen und beschrieben ; samrat beygefiigten Ku])fFern. Durch Johann Heinrich 
Seyfrid, Marco Brettano Francum ; Hoch-Fiirstl. Durchl. zu Pfaltz-Sultzbach Hof- 
Bedieuten. Sultzbach. In Verlegung Johaun llofmanns, Kunst- und Buch-Handlers 
in Xiirnbcrg. Druckts Abraham Lichlenthalcr, 1079." 
t The extract is from page 78 of the French, and page lOi of the English edition. 
