the L 6 W-C O U N T R I E s, 
fied. Georgius Agricola afErms, that the petrified 
Cockles, and other Sea- Shells, are found in the Stone 
Quarries of Galgenlsrgh^ and in thofe beyond Mount 
Maurice, in the Biilioprick of Hildejheim in Germany. 
{2.) At Alfeld, a Town of Saxony. , (3,) At Hanover, 
in the Lime-Pits, and near the Village of Lindaw. 
(4.) In a Village called Rahfchyts, near the Rivulet of 
^rebitia in Mifnia. (5.) At a Place called the Rofe- 
Garden in Pruffia. ( 6 .) Near the Caftle of Spangen- 
hergh in Haffia. (7.) In a Mountain of Italy near Ve~ 
rona. (8.) On the Banks of the River Elfa ; and (ac- 
cording to Paufanias) in the Quarries near Megara, and 
they are alfo found in Thejjaiy, Macedojiia, and the 
Mountains of Calabria. Bernardus Palijfms fays, that 
thofe petrified Shells are found in France, near the Sub- 
urb of St. Martial near Paris 1 in the Mountains of 
the Forefl of Arden, but efpecially about Sedan, in the 
Provinces of Valois, Xantogne and Champaign, and in 
the Mountains near Soijfons. 
Joannes de Fact tells us alfo of a Rock near Dijon in 
Burgundy, and fpeaks much of the Fields about Sati- 
vignac, upon this Account. Befides the beforementi- 
oned Places of Italy, they are found in the Mountain 
of Nicani, in the Modenefe, and in the Channel of a 
Rivulet near Udine in Friuli Geropius Becanus names 
Limburgh, Liege, Namur, Fournay, and divers other 
Places in the Lozv-Countries : Befides all which Places, 
there is not the leaft Queflion, but that, if flrift Ob- 
fervations were made in the other Parts of the V/orld, 
the fame might be difcovered there as well as in Eu- 
rope. 
We will now proceed to give you a fhort Hint of 
the Opinions maintained concerning them. The firff, 
and which was generally received among the Ancients, 
was. That they were originally the natural Bones or 
Shells of living Creatures, bred in the Sea, which by 
Deluges, Inundations, Earthquakes, or other fuch like 
Means, being call up into thofe Places, being filled 
with Clay, and fome petrifying Water or Subffance, 
were in Tradt of Time, hardened into the fame Shape 
and Figures they bore before ; this Opinion they fjp- 
port by divers Experiments, as the finding of a petri- 
fied Pearl-bearing Shell, in Fufcany, with the Pearl yet 
flicking to the Shell : Of a Piece of the greater Sea- 
nacre {Pinna marina) in which the filk-like Subfiance 
within the Shell being confumed, the Colour of that 
Subfiance remained in the Clay that had filled the Shell. 
Another Experiment is, that about the City of Vol- 
terra, there are many Beds of Earth not Itony, but 
full of true Cockle-fhells, which have not undergone 
the leafl Alteration, though they have lain there at 
leaft three thouiand Years, from whence they would 
evince, that Fufcany was in former Ages cover’d by the 
Sea, and confequently fo mighc thofe other Countries 
in which thofe petrified Shells are found. Againft this 
Opinion are two confiderable Objections, not eafily to 
be refolved. 
The firft is, that at this Rate the whole Body of the 
Earth muft once have been covered with Water, fince 
thefe petrified Shells are found at a vaft Diftance from 
the Sea, nay, even upon the very Tops of the Alps. 
Some pretend to anfwcr this by the general Deluge ; but 
as that proceeded from the Rains, thefe were more 
likely to carry off into the Seas thofe Shells, than to 
bring them in. What fome argue from the V/ords 
of the Scripture, {The Fountains of the deep were 
broken up) will not anfwer the Point neither ; for 
luppofing that by the breaking in of the Rivers and 
Seas, thofe Shells were brought, the fame muft of Ne- 
ceflity have been Tcattered indifferently over the whole 
Surface of the Earth. Others are for folving this Dif- 
ficulty, by referring the fame to fome particular Inun- 
dations, alledging, That thofe Places, where they are 
found now, might, in moft ancient Times, have been 
lovv^ Places, which, by Earthquakes, have been railed 
up to Mountains but tho’ this, perhaps, may take Place 
in refpebl of lome inconfiderable Eminencies or Hills, 
it is not applicable to thofe mountainous Bulks, fuch 
as the Alps, Pyrenees, Apennines, it being evident from 
the moft ancient Records, that though the Face of the 
Earth may have undergone fome Change ; yet the 
fame Mountains, Iflands, Promontories, Rivers, and 
Lakes of any Note, are ftill remainingj without any^ 
Removal in their ancient Stations^ 
The fecond Objeftion againft this Opinion is, That 
among all thefe petrified Cockles or Shells,' there are 
many Sorts not to be found any where now j na}q 
fome go firther, that among all our Shell-Fifties, the're 
are none found like thofe petrified Shells | unto which^ 
if it be anfwered, that thofe Species are loft, it is a 
Thing which will Icarce be admitted by many, for 
though it might be granted, that fome few Species 
Were loft, yet it feems next to an Impoffibility, that a 
whole Genus, of v/hich there were’ fo many Spe- 
cies fcattered in fo many far diftant Places from one 
another, fhould be utterly extinff. As for inftance, of the 
Serpentine Stones, or Cornua Ammonis, I have rnyfelf feen 
at leaft fix feveral Species, and fome of them of a Foot 
diameter, being m.uch beyond the Bignefs of any Shell- 
Fifh now living in our Seas. Hence it is, that many 
of our modern Naturahfts have attributed thefe Bodies 
to the Effedls of a plaftic Power in the Earth, and 
that they are produced and framed after the fame Man- 
ner as precious Stones, Grytlals, and coagulated Salts, 
byTiooting up into divers Figures. What makes for 
their Opinion is, that in the Earth are found many 
figured Stones, fuch' as the Lapides Lyncurii, Belemnites^ 
Lapides Judaici, Trochites, and others, which have not 
the leaft Refemblance to any Shells, Bones, Roots, or 
Fruits ; to lalve up v</hich, no other Recourfe is to be 
had, than to the before-mentioned Lofs of thofe Spe- 
cies out of the World. 
I cannot but mention, upon this Occaflon, what I 
was told^by a very credible Perfon, viz. That he had 
feen a Stone refembling a Cocklefhejl, found- in the 
Stomach of an Ox, which, if it be admitted, there is 
not the leaft Doubt, but that the like may be fb gene- 
rated in Quarries and other Places. Thefe two differ- 
ent Opinions have given Occafion to a third, viz. That 
fome of thofe Shells have been truly petrified, and 
that others are really Stones formed by fome Piaftic 
Power in the Earth, imitating the others in their Shapes 
and Figures. But as this feem to be rather a Shift 
than a Diffolution of the Objeblions to be made againft 
either of the two former Opinions, I am inclinable 
to adhere to the firft, as feeming to me more con- 
fonant to the Nature of the Thing, though at the 
fame Time I Ihould be very glad to hear the Objeblions 
made againft it, more foiidly anfwered than they have 
been hitherto. The Academical Senate of was 
compofed at that Time of thirteen Profeffors, three in 
Divinity, as many in Law, two in Phyfick, and five in 
Philofophy, who pubhfh every Year a printed Cata- 
logue of the Leflures they intend to keep the next en- 
fuing Year. 
25. September 4. We fet out from Altorff for Re- 
genfpurgh, or Ratisbon, and paffing througli Nieu- 
markt Heinmatv, two little walled Towns, mam e to 
Ratisbon the 5th at Night, by a fair Bridge built here 
over the Danube. This City, which receives its Name 
from the River Regen, which here joins its Current with 
the Danube, is very large and well-built with Scone- 
hoLifes, the Roofs' of which are fiat, after the Italian 
Manner. It is well fortified, but the Streets fbmewhat 
narrow. As it is an Imperial City, it is under the Go- 
vernment of its own Magiftrates ; who, as well as the 
greateft Part^ of the Inhabitants, Lutherans, tlioup-h 
their Biftiop is of the Romi/h KtWgion, the Members of 
which have fome Convents here, and a 'Colleo-e of Te- 
fuits. It is chiefly famous for the Imperial Diet whirh 
is ufually held here. ’ 
September li. We took Boat for Vienna, and paffed 
on the Left-hand of the River, by a Village and ftony 
Caftle on the Hill called Thonajlein, and three Leacyues 
and a half below Ratisbon, in Sight of the Caftle of 
mrt, feated at the Conflux of the Rlwtx ' mjent, and 
the Danube, belonging to the Bifliop of Ratisbon 5 we 
took ,up our Quarters one German League and a half 
thence, at Straubingen, a handforae wall’d Town, be- 
longing CO the Eiedor of Bavaria. 
