267 
rientia edoctus aperte assero.— Alias icones habeo quae ad Scarabaeorum 
genus quam proxime accedunt. In posterum ergo non tantum 
Lithophyta, sed et qiuedam insecta in hoc lapide investigare cona- 
bimur.” Lithophy laccii, p. 112. 
Plate XVII. Fig. 3, 4, 5, and 6, are sketches of these insects, as 
given by Lhwydd, Ichnograph. Tab. 4. 
The petrified nests of bees and wasps, of which some have spoken, 
may, I believe, be all referred to deceptive specimens of madreporites, 
or of septaria, in which the loose matter forming the tali, has allowed 
the crystallization to have formed small and numerous polygonal cells. 
The insects, which have been said to have been found in these cells, 
must have originated in an active imagination. 
The only specimens which can have any pretensions to the term 
Helmintholites, are those of which the representation of one species 
is given Plate VI. Fig. 12, and of which the impression of another is 
shown Fig. 13. Both these fossils are from Oeningen. 
The enormous length of this animal, and its knotted or jointed struc- 
ture, with its numerous contortions, and its general form, serve to 
distinguish it decidedly from the earth-worm, with which it has been 
confounded by some authors. These peculiarities do not, however, 
enable us to discover any known genus in which it may be placed. 
Knorr, Wolfart, and other ory otologists, have figured several varieties 
of this very curious kind of animal. Baier denominates it Lumbricus 
marinus petriftcatus. 
The analogue of Plate XVII. Fig. 9, is, I believe, entirely unknown. 
Bv some it has been considered as the wing or wings of a moth or 
butterfly, and by others it has been supposed to be the scale of some 
species of fish or tortoise. For my own part, I acknowledge, that I 
can offer no conjecture respecting it ; and therefore introduce its 
representation here, with the hope of obtaining some illustration of it, 
from any one who may have been led to make such observations as 
may assist in ascertaining its original nature. 
