152 
what has been so supposed are pieces of splendid pyrites. Flies, 
small phalcena, and ants, or parts of these insects, are the foreign 
matters which are most commonly thus entombed. From the perfect 
state of preservation in which these are found, displaying the sound 
appearance and fresh colouring of life, these specimens excite the 
highest degree of interest. The position in which these insects are 
found, frequently with their limbs separated, as though by struggling 
to obtain their release, proves that they have been thus engaged 
and inviscated, by alighting on this substance whilst it was in a 
soft state. In the Metallotheca Vaticance, of Mercatus, edited and 
brought into public notice by the splendid illustrations of Lancisius, 
are excellent representations of various insects thus preserved, as 
well as of some other animals, such as small fishes, lizards, and 
frogs, in a similar state of preservation. These latter have, however, 
been suspected of being thus involved by some artificial process, 
especially as the high price which such rare specimens would obtain 
would be a sufficient inducement to such ingenious exertions. 
In the splendid and elegant work of Sendelius* are displayed a 
prodigious number of figures of specimens of amber, containing 
animalculae, insects, &c. 
Animals thus naturally embalmed have furnished the poet, as 
might be expected, with an interesting topic. Martial thus elegantly 
speaks of a viper enclosed in amber : 
> 
Flentibus Heliadum ramis dum vipera serpit, 
Fluxit in obstantem succina gumma feram ; 
QuiE, dum miratur, pingui se rore teneri, 
Concrete riguit vincta repente gelu. 
Ne tibi regali placeas, Cleopatra, sepulcro, 
Viperi si tumulo nobiliore jacet. lib. iv. epigr. 59. 
* Historia Succinorum, Corpora aliena involventium ex regiis Augustorum Ciraeliis Dresdse 
conditis. Lips. 1742. 
