

1797+] 
country, he heard the cry of fome {mall 
animal; and, following the uoife, he 
found a field-moufe, ftill alive, with a 
large black fnail on its back, where he 
had fixed him(eif, and fairly eaten his 
way into the flefh How he had con- 
trived to fecure the moufe. and to fix 
hunfelf fo as not to be got rid of, may be 
a matter of fpeculation forthe naturalift, 
who will probably admit, that the re- 
later of this anecdote has made a new 
addition to his catalogue of beafts of 
prey. Latent 
' On mentioning this fad to an ingeni- 
ous friend at Knutsford, he informed 
me, that in a pond near the earl of 
STAMFORD’s houfe at Dunn AM, where 
gold fifhes are kept, a fith of this fpecies 
was obferved in a ftate of extreme debi- 
lity, and that, on being taken out of the 
water, an infeét was found to have fixed 
itfelf upon the back of the fifth, and to 
have eaten a hole into the hinder part of 
its head. The fith died in a few mi- 
nutes. The infect was kept in a glafsa 
few days without food; after which, a 
fmall perch was put to it, which the in- 
feét immediately attacked in the mof 
“violent manner. It proved to be the 
Farva of the diticus fenufiriaius, or large 
water beetle. sh A 
The whole county of Chefter, and the 
‘fouthern part of Lancafhire, nearly up to 
the Derbyfhire and Yorkihire hills, ex- 
hibit a ftriking appearance when viewed 
from an eminence; efpecially from the 
high ground above Difley, on the road 
from Buxton to Manchefter ; whcre they 
forcibly imprefs the obferver, as they ail 
at once prefent themfeives to his view, 
with the idea of their having once been 
_ the bed of avaft eftuary. The beds of 
fine fand, of marles of different kind, 
and particularly of falt, which are found 
within this diftri&t, appear ftrongly to 
corroborate this hypothefis. But this is 
a {ubjeét which 1 am happy to be.per- 
mitted to know is pre-occupied ; and I 
have no doubt, confidering the hands it 
is in, that complete juftice will be done 
- ‘fot. 
Being upon fubjeéts conneéted with 
geology, to adopt a new word, I cannot 
help taking notice of a circumflance 
which occurred to me on pailing the vaft 
ridge of Cam Fell, between Ingleton and 
) Afkrig. While upon the very fummit, 
_ which by comparifon with the neighbour- 
| ing mountains of Ingleborongh and Pe- 
| nygent, whofe heights have been afcer- 
' tained, can hardly be lefs than 30c0 feet 
Tour in the North. } 
257 
above the Jevel of the fea, £ obferved that 
all the racks were formed of eatroclj, and 
other marine fubftances. I recollected 
the thells mentioned in a former part of 
this fketch, which were found near soo 
feet below, the prefent fea-leyel. But 
what conclufjons any one may draw from 
fuch faéts as thefe, refpecting the age or 
hiftory of the world, I pretend not to fay? 
That the matter of which this earth is 
compofed has been fubjeét to: many reyo- 
lutions, even under its prefent form, we 
are warranted from hiftory to conclude ; 
that it may have conftituted the bafis of 
former worlds, appears by no means im- 
probable ; but, confidering the vaftnefs of 
the fubject, and our very limited powers, 
any pofitive conclufions are furely highly 
prefumptnous, Mineralogy is doubtlefs 
a very rational and important ftudy, when 
applied to the purpofes of life ; to the 
difecovery of things which may be turned 
to ufe, and meliorate the condition of fo- 
ciety; but when diftorred wich a vain 
ofientation of fcience, to furnith matter 
for dreffing out theories of the earth, it 
appears to be very much out of its place. 
To this fubjeét I am apt fometimes to ap. 
ply an allufion of a late venerable friend. 
Obferving a fly, one day, upon an orange, 
‘“* The deepeft mine,” faid he, “ in the 
world, bears nothing like the proportion 
to the diameter of the earth, that the 
yellow part of the rind of this orange 
does to its diameter. Now if this fly 
fhould have driven his probofcis. halt 
through the bitter oil contained in thefe 
cells, or even if he fhould have pene- 
trated into the infipid fungous fubftance 
beneath them, how imperfeét an idea 
would he fill have acquired of the real 
formation and) ftruéture of an orange ! 
As little, I believe, do our theorifts know 
of the formation and ftruéture of the 
earth.”’ 
Thus, Mr. Editor, I have ventured 
to throw together a few obfervations, 
which have occurred to me in the courfe 
of a late excurfion ; in which, though 
there may be little deferving of much 
attention, yet fome of the hints, reflec- 
tions, or queries, which have been pro~ 
pofed in this defultory, occafional mans 
ner, may perhaps excite fome better-in- 
formed correfpondent, to give a more 
accurate and detailed account of faéts, 
or a better explanation of faéts which 
are given; to examine the hypothefes 
occafionally ftarted; or to difcufs more 
at large, the important queftion of the 
effeéts of the introduétion of machines, . 
te. 



