Mr. Konig on a fossil human Skeleton 
part of a bone of a concentric lamellated structure, apparently 
the fragment of a tusk, but of what animal I am unable to 
determine ; also a large fragment of a basaltic stone ; and 
here and there small nests and dots of a black powdery sub- 
stance, which, from its decomposing nitre with great energy, 
appears to be pure charcoal. 
The hardness of this limestone, as calculated by the degree 
of impression made upon it by the mason's saw and chisel, 
surpasses that of statuary marble. ' 
From this description of the rock, it will be sufficiently clear, 
that it is by no means of a stalactical nature, and cannot there- 
fore be compared either with travertino, or any other che- 
mical calcareous deposition of this kind. Its origin seems 
unquestionably to be similar to that of common sandstone, 
only that the grains of which it is composed have in some 
parts become confluent, and formed a nearly compact lime- 
stone. Whether this last circumstance be not in part owing 
to the admixture of the gelatinous matter of the bones and 
muscular parts of the body of which it is the remains, I am 
not prepared to decide; certain it is, that the mass approaches 
more to the compact state in the immediate vicinity of the 
bones, than at a distance from them. Dr. Thomson informs 
me that he has found traces of phosphate of lime in this 
stone. 
Respecting the age of these fossil remains, if not much po- 
sitive information can be derived from the preceding details, 
they will prove at least, that the enveloping rock is not of a 
stalactic nature, and that the bones, after they were deposited, 
underwent a degree of violence wiiich dislocated and fractured 
them, without removing the fragments to a distance from each 
