[ 6 77 3 
IV. Monf. de Buffon, who pretends, that the earth 
was at firft entirely covered with water, which af- 
terwards dug channels for itfelf, and thus feparated 
the fea from the land ; and the author of Telliamed, 
who endeavours to prove, that this water goes in- 
fenf bly off by evaporation ; and who, as well as 
Monf. de Buffon, attributes the number of fea-fhells, 
found foffil, to the length of time he fuppofes the 
now inhabited parts of the earth to have been co- 
vered with water, feem not to have given fuf- 
ficient attention to an obfervation of confequence, 
which is, that the greatefl part of our foffil fhells 
are entirely foreign to Europe, and belong to the 
Equator or Tropicks. Monf. de Buffon himfelf 
feems to have been fomewhat aware, how much this 
obfervation might make againfl his theory ; for he ob~ 
ferves in anfwer to it, that not to mention fuch fhell- 
fifh, as inhabit the bottom of the fea, and from hence, 
being difficult to be caught, are regarded as unknown 
and foreign, though they may be produced in our 
feas ; by comparing our foffil fhells with their ana- 
logous living fhell-fifh, we fhall find amongft them 
more fhells belonging to our own coafts than of fo- 
reign ones ; for example, that pedens, peduncles, 
muffiels,oyfters, fea-glands, buccina, fea-ears, patellae, 
&c. which we find foffil almoft every-where, are 
certainly produdions of our own feas. But un- 
luckily for our ingenious theorifl, thefe fhells, he 
mentions as common on our coafts, are produced in 
all the feas of the globe, and are equally inhabitants 
of the equator and poles ; though we frequently dis- 
cover foffil fpecies of them, which are peculiar 
the warmer climates. 
Vol. 49. 4 R 
Sine c 
