genfis. Ad Illuftriffimum & Nobiliffmum Virum THOMAM PEMBROCHIE Comitem, &c. Accedit Methodica, & ad ipfam Naturæ normam instituta, Foffilium in Claffes Diftributio, Londini Typis J. M. Impenfis R. Wilkin, ad Infigne Capitis Regis in Cœmeterio Divi Pauli, & If. Vaillant, Bib* liopol. Roterodami. MDCCXIV.

That is,

THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE EARTH Illuftrated and Enlarged by the Author Dr. WOODW ARD, Profeffor of Phyfick in Grefham-College. With a Vindication of the fame; particularly against the late Objections of Dr. CAMERARIUS, Profeffor of Phyfick at Tubingen. Infcribed to the Right Honourable the Earl of PEMBROKE. To which is added, a Method of reducing Fofils into feveral Claffes. London. MDCCXIV. In 8vo. pagg. 135.

WHEN I gave an Account of Dr. Camerarius's Differtations, I obferved, that he very much enlarges upon Dr. Woodward's Hypothefis concerning the Origin of Figured Stones, and raises feveral Objections against it". And then I added, 'That at the fame time he highly commends that Curious and Learned Gentleman, and informs us, that his Syftem is very much approved by the moft confiderable Perfons of Germany, who love that fort of • Study".

+ See the Fifth Volume Art. XXIX.

Dr.

Dr Woodward undertakes to answer Dr. Camera rius's Objections in the Book, which makes the Subject of this Article; and this Performance is an Excellent Illuftration of his Natural Hiftory of the Earth. The Author had all the neceffary Qualifications to go about fuch a Work: He applied himself for ma ny Years to the Study of Nature with an indefatiga ble Labour; he carefully furveyed the most confiderable Mines of Great Britain, and other Places that have been digged; he obferved with the utmost Attention the Strata of each Matter, the Situation of Minerals, and in what Order the feveral Sorts of Foffils are to be found; and then he faithfully communicated to the Publick the Refult of his Obfervations. His Defign was not to ferve a pre-conceived Hypothefis, but to reprefent the true State of those things, as it appeared to him, and to draw from thence fome undeniable Propofitions, and fuch as did naturally arife from his Obfervations; without which 'all his difcoveries, though never fo entertaining, feemed to him altogether ufelefs.

When the Natural Hiftory of the Earth came out, it was quickly difperfed all over Europe, and approved by the Learned. Moft Philofophers believed then that the Shells, to be found in the Earth, were Stones formed out of a Terrestrial Matter; whereas now there are but few, who doubt that they are Sea fhells conveyed into the Earth by the Deluge. Among thofe Learned Men, who changed their Ŏpinion after the reading of Dr. Woodward's Book, I must not omit Dr. Scheuchzer. That Eminent Physician, whofe great Skill in Natural Hiftory is fo well known, published in the Year 1695, a Differtation, wherein he undertook to prove that the Shells, to be found under Ground, are mere Foflils: But after he had read Dr. Woodward's Book, he acknowledged his Error; and from that time, he has maintained the contrary Opinion in feveral of his Works,

Dr. Camerarius owns, as I have already obferved, that the most learned Naturalifts of Germany have embraced Dr. Woodward's Syftem. The Germans have made fo great a Progrefs in the

Knowledge of
Nature,

Nature, and their Country affords fo many helps towards it, that their Approbation must needs be very glorious to Dr. Woodward, and appear no fimall Confirmation of the Truth of his Hypothefis. Hi, cum pro me fent, (fays the Author) & fententiam meam Authoritate fua comprobent, Argumentifque confirment, non eft cur unius Camerarii, difertiffimi licet, & quod facile credam, aliarum Difciplinarum peritiffimi, impetum reformidem.

Dr. Woodward has divided his Difcourfe into Three Parts. In the Firft, he fhews that Dr. Camerarius has fometimes mifreprefented his Opinions. In the Second, he takes notice of his Miftakes, and in the Third, he examins his Doctrine.

I. 1. Some Paffages of Dr. Camerarius, concerning the Cornu Ammonis or Ammonites, give the Author Occafion to make the following Oblervations. The Ammonites, fays he, is a Sea fhell, having all the Marks and effential Properties of a true Shell; but of a different Kind from all others. It is feldom to be met with upon the Shores. Dr. Woodward never faw but one fort of thofe Shells found there; whereas many are digged out of the Ground. But ( fays he) all the feveral Kinds of Shells, to be found upon all the Sea-fhores, have not been yet carefully obferved and collected Befides, there are many in the deepest Parts of the Sea, which never come near the Shores, and are never removed out of their Places by the moft violent Storms. The Ammonites feens to be one of that Kind. Most of thofe Shells that are thrown upon the Shores by the Tide, or by high Winds, do not grow far from thence. The Agitation of the Waves, occafioned by the greateft Tempefis, never reaches the deepeft Parts of the Sea; and therefore it can be no wonder, if the Shells that grow there, are feldom thrown upon the Shore.

Dr. Camerarius can hardly believe, that the Bottom of the Sea is calm at all times. Our Author wonders at it, fince the thing is undeniable, and may ea fily be known from Books, and from the Teftimony of thofe Men, who went into the deep Parts of the

Sea

Sea, when its furface was in a violent Agitation. Dr. Ca merarius asks, Why Divers don't bring Shell out of the Bottom of the Sea? Dr. Woodward aniwers, That those Men are neither Naturalifts, nor employed by those who love Natural Hiftory. When they go down into the Bot tom of the Sea, not without being in great Danger of their Lives, they do it in hopes of a great Gain; and therefore they only look for Pearls, and other things of great Value, and mind nothing elfe. If Dr. Camerarius is not fatisfied with this Answer, he must confider, fays the Author, that Divers feldom look for Pearls at a great Distance from the Shore: They only go down into very fhallow Places, if they be compared with the deepest Parts of the Sea. It is highly probable, that ever fince the general Deluge, thofe deep Places have enjoyed a conftant and perpetual Calmnels. The Shells that lay there, were carried by the Flood into very remote Places, where many of them remained, when the Waters decreased. Such are the Shells that are now frequently to be found in the Earth, and but feldom upon the Shores, and of which Dr. Camerarius fpeaks in this Part of his Work.

The Author adds, that fome extraordinary Storms, fuch as the Huricanes which happen about the Barbadoes, and near the Continent of America, reaching much deeper into the Sea, than the common Storms, throw upon the Shore a greater Quantity of Shells, and even fome that were never feen before. And 'tis not to be doubted, that if fome Storms, more violent than Huricanes, fhould penetrate into the Bottom of the deepest Seas, they would bring out of them Ammonita, and fuch other Shells, as came out in the Time of the Deluge, and now are never to be seen upon the Shores.

Any one, fays the Author, who confiders what a great Quantity and Variety of Shells, that grew in the middle of the Ocean, is to be found in fo many Places far diftant from the Sea, even upon the Tops of the higheft Mountains, and in the deepest Mines, and that none of them are to be met with near the Shore, may learn from thence what a dreadful Alteration was made in the Earth by the Deluge, and

how

ART. 15 how difficult it is to conceive the prodigious Diforder and Confufion occafioned by that general Flood.

2. It frequently falls out, that young and small Sea-fhells are to be found in the Earth with old and large ones of the fame Kind. Dr. Woodward, confidering that the former are of the fame Size, as they ufe to be about the latter end fof May, thought he might judge from thence at what Seafon of the Year the Violence of the Deluge put an end to their growing. The Author adds, that fmall and tranfparent Shells, perfectly grown up, are to be met with, Both in the Sea and in the Earth, as well as others, which grow tender and friable by Length of Time, as having contracted fome Corruption, and therefore muft needs perish. But he denies what Dr. Ca. merarius affirms, that there are feveral Shells in the Earth actually growing; and fays, that if Dr. Camerarius can prove his Affertion, he will heartily ac knowledge the Falfity of his own Observations, and embrace the Opinion of his Adverfary.

3. Dr. Camerarius feems to believe, that there is a great Quantity of Shells in Great Britain, because it is an Ifland furrounded by the Sea, from whence thofe Shells have been conveyed into the Land through Subterraneous Paffages, and by Inundations, and great Alterations that have happened in this Country: He adds, that we must not judge of other Countries by this land, and that Shells are not to be found fo plentifully in the Continent. Dr. Woodward anfwers, that this last Affertion is contrary to the Teftimony of Ancient and Modern Writers. The Accounts which he has received from the Inland Countries of Afia, Africa, America, and Europe, and the Bones, Teeth, and Shells of Sea-Animals collected there, and brought into England, of which he has no fmall Number, do plainly fhew the Fallity of Dr. Camerarius's Opinion. Nay, that Learned Phyfician' owns, that there are whole Mountains in Germany full of Shells, but he fays, he never could fee any about Tubingen. What then? replies Dr. Woodward. Has Dr. Camerarius fo carefully fearched into the Bowels of the Earth about that City, as to be fure

no