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THE

HISTORY

O F

FOSSILS.

PART the Third.BOOK I.

Metallic FOSSILS.

A SPHUR E L A T A.

TAL LIC Fossils fusible by fire, and mt malleable in their purejl fate,

These are all in their native slate penetrated by and intimately mix’d with sulphur andother adventitious matter, and re due'd to what are call'd ores.

Of this series of Fossils there are only five bodies, all naturally comprehended in the fameClass, but each making a separate and dijlinSi Genus.

These are Antimony, Bismuth, Cobalt, Zinck, and Quicksilver.

ASPHURELATA.

G E N U S I.

Antimonium.

Antimony.

This is a mineral body never found native in its pure state, but always intimatelymix’d with and penetrated by sulphur and other extraneous matter, and redue’dto the form of an ore. In this mix’d state it is ever found in the earth, and accordingto the different proportions of sulphur or admixture of other bodies, it is found in severalforms., v

Its most usual appearance is in a very hard and heavy lead colour’d substance, com-pos’d of a number of extreamly small Granules, all very bright and sparkling, and givingit the appearance of a lump of the purest steel where fresh broken. This is what iscommonly understood by the name Antimony ore.

Not unfrequently however it appears of a somewhat more lax texture, less heavy, but

much