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stone. Some, with Mr. Schultz, have been decidedly of opinion, 
that these stellated appearances proceeded from the filling up of the 
natural pores of the wood, by the infiltration of a stony matter ; 
the wood being of some exotic, and unknown kind of tree, whose 
pores were of a stellated form. Some have attributed the tubular 
part to the labour of some insect of the tubularia or teredo kind; 
and which they have imagined has been afterwards selected, by 
some zoophyte, for its habitation ; whilst others have conceived that 
the tube, as well as the star-like figure, were both attributable to the 
same zoophyte. M. Genzmer was of opinion, that these curiously 
formed bodies were originally a species of stellated coral. Mr. 
Walch, finding a closer resemblance between these bodies and the 
pentagonal stalks of the pentacrinus, concludes them to have been 
a species of cartilaginous zoophytes. Mr. Schultz, by cutting a 
stone containing these substances, in various directions, ascertained 
that they are continued columnar bodies, some of which, he says, 
are angular, others cylindrical, and some pyramidal. That they 
have been a species of columnar asteriee, he thinks is proved by 
their longitudinal section displaying striae of two or three colours; 
the colour of the stone, for instance, appearing in a dark line, with 
a red or whitish line on each side of it, formed by two projecting 
rays. 
Anxious to form a correct judgment respecting these bodies, I 
have eagerly furnished myself with every specimen of the kind 
within my reach; and imitating the labours of Mr. Schultz, have 
obtained sections of these bodies in almost every direction; but, 
as you will perceive, without obtaining much positive information 
respecting them. With respect to the first-mentioned opinion, that 
of these stellated forms being derived from the natural pores of the 
wood, I have to remark, that they are seen in three states, so widely 
different as could not at all accord with this opinion. In the one, 
the stars exist without any surrounding containing ring ; in another, 
