C 493 ) 
Sweden^ and the Rain Deer in the Northern Countries 
of Europe ; for otherwile we cannot eafily fancy it 
(hould happen, that Three of their Heads (hould be all 
found within the narrow Compafs of one Acre of Ground, 
That thefe and feveral others, and indeed I think I 
iDay fay, all that I have been particularly informed of, 
though dug up in far diftant Places of Ireland^ (hould 
be conftantly found b#ried in a Sort of Marle^ feems to 
me to intimate, as if Marie was only a Soil that had 
been formerly the Outward Surface of the Earthy but 
in procefs of Time, being covered by degrees with ma- 
ny Layers of Adventitious Earth, has by lying under 
Ground a certain Number of Ages, acquired a peculiar 
Texture^ Confiflence^ Richnefsy ov Maturity \h21gi\ts it 
the Name of Marie, For of neceflity we muft allow 
the Place where thefe Heads are now found, was cer- 
tainly once the external Superfice of the Ground ; 
otherwife 'tis hardly poffible to fuppofe how they 
ihould come there* 
And that they fliould be fo deep buried as we at pre- 
fent find them, appears to have happen d, by their ac- 
cidentally falling where it was foftpow Ground ; fo that 
the Horns by their own confiderable Gravity might 
eafily make a Bed where they fetled in the yielding 
Earth | and in a very long Courfe of Time, the higher 
Lands being by degrees diiTolved by repeated Rains, and 
wafht and brought down by Floods^, covered ihofe Pla- 
ces that were (cituated lower with many Layers of 
Farth : For all high Grounds and Hills, unleft they 
confift of Rock, by this means naturally lofe a little 
every Year ot their Height and (bmetimes (enfibly 
become lower even in one Age of which we may fee 
feveral fatisfadory Inftances related by Dr» Plott in his 
Natural 
