140 
body* a kind of organized ani- 
mal rolling in space. According 
to this theory lakes and springs 
would be the outward pores vents 
and outlets of this huge being, 
volcanoes inflamed sores and ex- 
uvia, water the blood or sap of 
the earth, mountains the ribs, ri- 
vers the veins. This whimsical 
conceit is not preposterous since 
we know of animals perfectly 
globular and somewhat like our 
globe, the Tethya and Ybtvox 
for instance. But it is only a 
theoretical surmise, I merely 
mention it as an illustration, and 
the conception of some great 
minds; perhaps a more rational 
idea than the theories deeming 
this globe amass of inert matter, 
a globular crystal, or a hollow 
sphere suspended in space, or a 
rolling ball whirling round the 
sun. 
102. MINERALOGY. 
Oolites of North America. 
A great confusion has arisen 
concerning this mineral rock be- 
cause scarce, denied to us by 
many who have not seen it, and 
mixt by others with chalk and 
grit under the name of Oolitic 
rocks. 
Chalk is compact and white, 
notin round grains like the true 
Oolitic rock, it has not yet been 
found in America. 
Limegrit or silicious limestone 
has grains of quartz bound by 
lime. It is a kind of grit or 
sandy rock, and not of Oolitic 
rock as erroneously stated by 
Eaton; it is not uncommon in 
the Alleghany mts. and West of 
them. 
The true Oolitic rocks are cal- 
careous and formed by globular 
grains or crystals either solid or 
hollow. 
The trite Oolite or Roestone 
has those grains spherical, more 
or less hollow, commonly white. 
They have been mistaken for pe- 
trified roes of fishes by the vul- 
gar, and by the system mongers 
who would not believe in round 
crystals. They are however per- 
fect crystals of pure lime, con- 
glomerated into extensive rocks 
and strata. 
I have found it in South Ken- 
tucky, in the basin of the Cum- 
berland R. (not the valley) S. of 
the Knobs between Glasgow and 
Bowlingreen. It was perfectly 
white, the hollow grains of the 
size of millet. It is scattered on 
the ground in angular flattened 
fragments; but in digging for 
wells a thin stratum less than a 
foot thick is found above the com- 
pact limestone rock. 
This formation must be con- 
nected with that of Tennessee, 
mentioned in the late geological 
map of that state, to be fonnd in 
several parts of the S. Cumber- 
land basin, and besides on the 
very top of the S. Cumberland 
mountains, overlaying there foe 
gritty sandstone. 
The other Oolitic rocks found 
in Europe are 1. The Pisolites or 
Peastone, with grains solid like 
peas. 2. Mecmites , as minute as 
poppy seeds and nearest to chalk. 
3. Ammites , from the size of a 
nut to 3 feet in diameter formed 
by concentric spheres united by 
rays. These are deetned orga- 
nic remains by many near to Am- 
monites and Numulites. 4. Gran - 
ulites. Round grains filled and 
bound by a silicious matter. 
These have not yet been found 
with us; hut Dr. Powells of Bal- 
timore has shown me another, 
found by him in Pennsylvania, 
very near the Granulites but not 
silicious* It must form a 5th 
Oolitic rock which I Shall call 
