nz The U^tural Biflory 
fui generis ; than to theirs, T^at they are thu6 formed in an Animal 
mold. The latter opinion appearing at prefent to be preffed with 
far more, and more infupcrable difficulties than the former. 
98. For they that hold thefe ^o«e5 were thus formed in the 
fidls of fijhes^ muft fuppofe either with Steno that they were 
brought hither by the Deluge in the days of Noah ; or by fomeo- 
ther more particular, and perhaps National Flood, fuch as the 
Ogygean^ or Veucalionian in Greece^ than either of which there is 
nothing more improbable. 
99. Firft, not by the Flood in the days of iVb^7/j,' becaufc 
that (and for very good reafons too) feems not to have been uni- 
verfal^ andatmoftto have covered only the continent of Jfia°^ 
and not to have extended it felf to this then uninhabited Wejlern 
part of the World. But fuppofe "it were univerfal, yet it pro- 
ceeded from Rain^which (as Mr. Ray wellobferves) would more 
likely have carryed fiells down into the fea, than brought any 
upwards from it. And if it be further urged, That the fountains 
of the great deep were broken uj> ^ and that the Deluge proceeded 
pardy from a breaking forth and over-flowing of the fea^ which 
confequently might bring in the JUjells : It may be anfwered, that 
the over-flowing, either gradually increafed upon the Earth, or - 
was violent : if gradually^ as it is moft likely (for God eaufed not 
any wind to pafs over the Earth till the Waters began to aflwage ;• 
and befides, the Waters that defcended m Rain^ in all probabi- 
lity at firft ran down to the Sea, and gave fome check to its foods') 
why fliould we think that any J^ell-fJ/jy efpecially of the teflace- 
CU6 kind, whereof there are fome that always ftick to rocks-) and 
others that have no locomotion, as Oyfters^ Mufcles^ is'C. but what 
is given them by the ^j/er^ violence, ftiould leave their beds in 
the Sea at all, and be carried aloft to the tops of Mountains, 
And if violent^ then fuch a Flood would have indifferently flat- 
tered all forts of Jhells over the whole face of the Earthy efpeci- 
ally in all valleys ; whereas we find the fiones that refemble them 
many times at the tops of hills^ and but in few valleys ; and thofd 
not fcattered neither indifferently one amongft another, but for 
the moft part thofe of a kjnd together ; and of the fame kind 
too, thofe of different lineations together. Thus at Cdrnwetl 
" InVrodromo, <" f/^e Sdllingfleci Or?gi7/(?f 5^cWj 3. p Gen. c-j. ver.n, q Gen- cap. 8. 
' ver. I, 
and 
