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succ 6 eding mineralogists. Lhwydd, however, in his letter to Dr. Ri- 
chardson, in 1698, offers some very rational opinions respecting the 
origin of these bodies : having, as he observes, suspected that every 
species of entrochus had proceeded from some kind of sea-star, he 
was induced, supported by the arguments contained in this letter, to 
positively assert that to be the fact which before he had only sus- 
pected. He also contributed much to promote the knowledge ol 
these bodies, by the figures of them which he annexed to his work. 
Lachmiund had, however, preceded him in this respect ; having- 
given a series of figures, in which he had marked several of the pecu- 
liarities of both trochitae and of entrochi. The opinion of Lhwydd 
was adopted by Langius, Scheuchzer, and others; whilst Charleton, 
Mylius, Leibnitz, and especially Buttner, who had so zealously con- 
tended with Woodward, against the mineral original of fossil corals, 
were also convinced of the animal origin of these bodies ; although 
they did not pretend to determine to what kind of animal they had 
belonged. 
Hellwing, although aware that Mylius had referred the trochitae, 
&;c. to the animal kingdom, and that Lhwydd had imagined them to 
have belonged to some species of the sea-star, formed the opinion that 
they were rather referrible to the fossil corals ; and, of course, consi- 
dered these bodies, with the corals, as belonging to the vegetable kingdom. 
Lesser, in his work entitled Litho-theology, as well as Harenberg, who 
had paid very considerable attention to this species of fossil, were also 
satisfied of their vegetable origin. 
To this opinion of their vegetable origin, our celebrated country- 
men, Ray and Lister, agreed : they, however, contributed considera- 
bly to increase the knowledge respecting them, by collecting and 
comparing various specimens. In this work they were much assisted 
by Mr. Beaumont, by whose industry several very valuable remains 
of these animals were collected. I shall here introduce the opinion 
of this gentleman respecting their original nature, since it will serve 
