Derivation of " Derry Down."....Toads in Stones. way into the cottage and the barn. They are now common throughout Scotland. You will, perhaps, Sir, not think this fubject in the hiftory of manners too trivial for difcuffion and illustration in your entertaining mifcellany. I fhould be glad to find my conjectures rectified or con firmed by fome more valuable communication from one or another of your numerous correspondents. Tungland, near Kirkcudbright, April 1, 1798. A. R. wind *. There are, alfo, fome old pieces of mufic in Wales, the names of which are derived from this branch of British hufbandry, fuch as hob y deri, the hog of the oaks; and bob y deri dando, the hog of the oaks under cover; and the like. I have thrown out the above hints, Mr. Editor, that you might coincide with my opinion, that the well-known tune, or the name at leaft, of DERRY Down, comes from the fame origin. For, these two words, confidered as English, have no meaning at all; but they are at once identified, and feem to convey an idea in unifon with the subject before mentioned, in the following Welsh phrafes: Y deri down † ; To the oaks we will come: 333 To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, HERE are few branches of science ΤΗ in which modern inquiries have detected more errors than in natural history; and, independent of the immediate object of fuch investigations, which, if not before afcertained, is always valuable; even what may appear a trivial fubject, fometimes leads to important confiderations. Caution, therefore, is necessary in admitting the truth of accounts which appear to deviate confiderably from the ufual laws of nature, however they may be fanctioned by refpectable authorities, and long admitted; but we should en are abfolutely fabulous, and those in farther It was not my intention to have troubled you any 334 Eye Witneffes of Toads in Stones.....Dr. Thompson. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, ONE NE of your late correfpondents has called in queftion the truth of all the accounts you have given refpecting toads having been found alive in the middle of tones: and he refts his objection on the ground, that the various relations have all been given at fecond band. He calls for one from an eyewitnels! Let him take the following given by Ambrofe Pare, chief furgeon to Henry III. king of France, and a man of confiderable information and abilities. "Being (fays he) at my feat near the village of Meudon, and overlooking a quarry-man, whom I had fet to break fome very large and hard ftones, in the middle of one we found a huge live toad, though there was no vifible aperture by which it could have got there. I could not help expreffing my wonder how it had been generated, had grown, and lived; but the labourer told me, it was not the first time he had met with toads. and the like creatures within huge blocks of ftone, in which there could be found no visible opening or fiffure." Your doubting correfpondent may find fimilar relations given by eye witneffes, if he will confult Baptifta Fulgofa, doge of Genoa; Agricola, Horftius, Lord Verulam, &c. .In the volume for 1719 of "The Tranfactions of the Academy of Sciences, at Paris," the following is given: In the foot of an elm, of the hignefs of a pretty corpulent man, three or four feet above the root, and exactly in the center, has been found a live toad, middle-fized, but lean, and filling up the whole vacant space. No fooner was a paflage opened, by fplitting the wood, than it fcuttled away very haftily. A more found or firm elm never grew; fo that the toad cannot be fuppofed to have got into it: the egg, whence it was formed, muft, by fome very fingular accident, have been lodged in the tree at its first growth. There the creature had lived without air, feeding on the fubftance of the tree, and growing only as the tree grew,." This is attefted by Mr. Hubert, profeffor of philofophy at Caen. In the volume for 1731, M. Seigne, of Nantes, lays before the Academy a fact juft of the very fame nature, excepting that, instead of an elm, it was an oak, of fuch a fize, that judging by the time neceffary for its growth, the toad muft have fubfifted in it without air or aliment during 80 or 100 years. But toads are not the only animals that are found alive in ftones: in Toulon Harbour, and the Road, are found folid hard ftones and perfectly entire, containing, in different cells, fecluded from all communication with the air, feveral living fhell fish of an exquifite taste, called dactyli, or dates. To come at these fish, the ftones are broken with mallets. Alfo along the coaft of Ancona, in the about fifty pounds, and fometimes more, Adriatic, are ftones, ufually weighing the outfide rugged and eafily broken, but the infide fo compact and firm as to require a ftrong arm and an iron mallet to break them. Within them, and in feparate apertures, are found finall fhell fish quite alive, and very palateable, called folenas, or cappe lunghe. Thefe facts are attefted by Gaffendi, Blondel, Mayol, the learned bishop of Sulturara, and more particularly by Aldrovandi, a phyfician of Bologna. The two latter speak of it as a commonly known fact, and of which they themselves were EYE WITNESSES. For the Monthly Magazine. CURSORY OBSERVATIONS upon the SILICEOUS INCRUSTATIONS of ITALIAN HOT SPRINGS, and particularly en thofe of the " CAMPI PHLEGRÆI, in the Kingdom of Naples. (1) By Dr. THOMPSON, of Naples. (1) THE HE filiceous depofition of Geyfer, in Iceland, is become generally known, fince the analysis of it by Bergman. (2) In the fucceeding autumn of 1791, I communicated to the Journal de Phyfique, of Paris, my having found fimilar incruftations produced from the warm waters of the Lakes of Saffo, in Tuscany. (3). From thence travelling by the Montamiata of Tufcany, on the mountain of Santa Fiora in the fame autumn, I found there small filiceous ftalactites, transparent and bright as rock cryftal, inclofed in the cavities of a very hard lava, which on the flightest application of fire, became opaque, and appear like pearls. (4) Paffing the winter of 1791 at Florence, there occurred to my obfervation a fmall fpecimen of a fimilar ftalactite fhut up in the cavities of a certain hard lava of the Euganian mountains in the Vicentine; and afterwards I acquired a fpecimen of impure magnesia, called, at Florence, gabbro, coming from Impruneta, which fpecimen is covered over with fimilar ftalactites, or little pearls, which become bright and opaque Dr. Thompson, of Naples, on Siliceous Incrustations. opaque on the application of the flame of a lamp; which proceed from the multiplied crevices or divifions, which in fuch cafe extend themselves in every direction in this fubftance: in the fame manner as tranfparent ice and glass, when pounded, become white: which indeed Faujas de Saint Fond feemed not to have confidered when he propofes to us his difficulties relative to the cause of the pearly brightnefs which he defcribes in fimilar ftalactites, in page 330 of his "Mineralogie des Volcans, 8vo. 1784*, If, however, thefe divifions become exceffive, then the white is rendered perfectly opaque inftead of the fhining luftre of mother of pearl, and the ftalactite too much cracked, crumbles between the fingers. I likewife obtained, in the winter, in exchange with the Ducal cabinet of Florence, a little piece of that more beautiful mamillonate ftalactite of the Montamiata, prefented to me, together with other fpecimens, by the discoverer himself, Profeffor Giorgio Santi, of Pifa; and in March 1792, the refpectable profeffor fhewed me and prefented to me, other pieces of this his pearled filiceous ftalactite, confiderably larger, and more beautiful than thofe I had, until then, met with; and I then learnt, that thofe obferved by me the preceding autumn, in the Montamiata, were likewife not unknown to him. (5) Travelling in the year 1794, in the ifland of Ifchia, I found many of thofe fmall and moft brilliant filiceous ftalactites, together with other white ones grouped in the veins and crevices of the pumice, fcattered among the porous kind of ftone which had been recently cut through, to form an afcent from Lacco to the baths of San Lorenzo; as also in the filiceous veins of another little rock of the fame fubftance near the fea at Lacco, being exactly that upon which there is a lime kiln. I communicated these observations the fame day to Abbate Breiflak, who collected numerous fpecimens of it for his friends. (6) The fame Abbate Breiflak, after my return to Naples, dug in a place ftill lower than the before mentioned afcent, with a view to meet with fulphur, which fome perfons afferted to have been *The pearls here defcribed by Faujas being the fame with thofe of the Montamiata, and being of volcanic origin, as are likewife fo many others to be named hereafter, increafes the probability that the bafalts where the pearls of Faujas are imbedded ("Glaf Hyalites of Müller), may be indeed of volcanic origin, which fome have hitherto doubted. MONTHLY MAG. No. XXXL. 335 found there fome time before; he fucceeded in his object, and carrying with him fome fpecimens of it to Naples, I had the pleafure to obferve likewife, in them, filiceous ftalactites; thefe contained, however, filiceous veins, but larger, as well white and opaque as glafly, in this cafe exifting in a fubftance more compact. (7) Being now aware of the frequency of fuch phenomenon, and feeking for it in the autumn of the fame year, I found likewife thefe filiceous incruftations femiopaque, and white in decompofed lava, which chiefly forms the external fides of the ancient volcanic crater, now called the Zolfatara di Pozzuoli; hence I conjectured it would not be difficult to find the fame alfo within this crater, at present exhaufted, except that there are yet fome tunnels in activity, and that fulphur is daily formed there in abundance; returning then again in this preient autumn, I found the faid phenomena under a great many varieties, fome of the ftalactite being refplendent, and others variegated; fome of the fpecimens were, of a pale white colour and opaque, others fhining like glafs; fometimes incefing the fuperficies of the decompofed lava, at other times cementing the fragments of the fame, reducing them to the appearance of folia, and extremely hard tone. At length I perceived, now for the first time, that on all occafions where occur extenfive furfaces of fuch incruftations, they are exprefsly thofe, which, ftretching themfelves out like paint, cover over and defend the yielding and pliable white earth there prevailing, which is nothing elie than lava decompofed by vapours, and which, without this defence, would be carried totally away by the torrents of rain which fall upon it. In thefe, filiceous fuperficies, which will often deceive not the eye only, but the hand armed with the hammer, fo as to induce the opinion, that the fubftance beneath the incruftation may likewife be very hard; I do not recollect other than the ancient crevices of the lava, which rendered it permeable to thofe vapours, which have now deftroyed it, by loading the whole space of this paffage with filiceous earth, already held in folution. fervation to be regarded among the most If my furprife was great, that an obpredominant of this place, fhould have escaped the remark of preceding mineralogifts, who exprefs themselves with much warmth upon the intructive, phenomena of the Zolfatara, I trust the accufation of envy ought not to be attached X X to 336 Dr. Thompson, of Naples, on Siliceous Incrustations. to this reflection, when I confess that I cœca Nox iter eripiet, quin ultima naturai Lucret. lib i. (8) In July of the prefent year, coafting the edge of the vaft cleft, whence was vomited the immenfe lava, which the laft year ruined, in a few hours, the populous town, Torre del Greco, I remarked there the volcanic fand, partly red, partly green (fhorl), as though it had been powdered with hoar froft, which, to the eye would have appeared a faline fubftance; but this likewife is nothing elfe than a moft fubtle plaifter, or filiceous varnish, which covers over this fand, whofe prominent grains inclining to a circular form, have the appearance of fo many little pearls. This fubtle and tender cruft, on the application of water, becomes hydrophanous and transparent, whence the eye, although experienced, eafily paffes it unobferved. The fand, conglutinated in part by thofe incruftations, and in part by its calx of iron, forms a kind of fuperficial mirror of little confiftency upon the afhes. In other places around the new openings of the mountain, a fimilar cruft is found, lefs bright, but thicker, which affumes the form of ftalactites, and recruits itself with the larger volcanic fragments. It is obfervable, that in all thefe places, openings, from whence efcape humid and fcalding vapours, are frequent even at prefent. (8) Returning into Ifchia in August of the prefent year, and invited to vifit certain outlets of hot vapour, and as I was affured, of hepatic air, I conceived from hence the poffibility of finding there alfo, fulphur, which might tend to elucidate the generation of that fulphur found by Abbate Breiflak (f. 6.) in a place where the vapours no longer exift. The prefence of filiceous incruftations, together with the fulphur already mentioned (f. 6.), would likewife deferve fome confideration, as thefe had all the character of being produced at the fame time as the fulphur. I went, therefore, in company with Count Redern, to a place called Monticeto, above Cafamic. ciola, and there on the fide of a channel produced by torrents, but then dry, we net indeed with humid vapours, which caufed the thermometer of Fahrenheit, the bulb of which was placed in the holes from whence the vapours escaped, to afcend to 202; and judging from the rapid elevation of the mercury, I believe the rife would have been confiderably more in a thermometer whofe fcale was more extenfive but mine being calculated for experiments upon the heat of animals, did not permit us this proof, terminating a few degrees beyond that of boiling water, or 212. We did not find there either fulphur or hepatic air, but we perceived the fmell of fomething burning, which I have always found to accompany fuch orifices, and that rather refembles the odour of burning fulphur, but weak and much attenuated. The rock whence proceeded thefe vapours, is a greenish tufa, rich in magnefian earth, and in little pumice ftones, the whole corroded by moisture, and of confequence extremely tender. Around the orifice, but always at a small diftance, and upon the fides of the little cavern, we met with various incruftations refembling efflorefcences, produced there by the vapours: it will be fufficient to notice 1. Chalk of a foliated form, abundant. 2. Alum, but feldom, and in small quantities. 3. Siliceous ftalactites, foliated, cylin-. drical, or conical and pendent (mamillonate), very brittle, and of little confiftence; on touching the tendereft points of it, which of their filiceous hardness. crumbled between the teeth, I was firft aware 4. A bitter falt, of which I shall speak hereafter. (Sec. 19.) Afterwards, lower down the fteep and in the bottom of the channel itself, we found filiceous crufts, lefs delicate, but more compact than those before mentionthere are alfo fome veins of the fame ed, and fometimes coloured with red: fabftance, which indicate the fite of other orifices already exhaufted. Penetrating of the orifice now in activity, we found afterwards a few inches within the mouth three lactites, of a mamillonate form, tender, fubftance Dr. Thompfon, of Naples, on Siliceous Incrustations. fubftance of thofe greater ftalactites of the Montamiata, as we have indeed already noticed in thofe fpecimens found in Ifchia, by Abbate Breiflak (f. 6.), and as appear more clear in thole fpecimens of filiceous Italactite, tranfparent as glafs, found afterwards in the above ftated vifit to the Zolfatara di Pozzuoli (1. 7.), when, together with Count Redern, I had the fortune to inform myself of the phenomena already recited, and befides that, to find fulphur and filiceous ftalactite fo intimately combined, that there is no longer a doubt of their being produced together; deriving their common origin from warm and humid vapours, and hence denominated by me thermal: and here I obferve, that the moisture apparent in drops near the fulphur produced from the Zolfatara, is loaded with vitriolic acid, while thofe drops which diftil round about the filiceous ftalactites of Monticeto, where there is no palpable fulphur, are infipid, and devoid of fmell. (11.) At prefent, we know that Profeffor Black, of Edinburgh, analizing the waters of Geyfer, discovered in them the prefence of mineral alkali, the known folvent of filiceous earth, put into action by means of fire, or in the dry way. See Philos. Trans. of Edinb. (12.) We know, like wife, that in the junctures, or knots of the cane called bamboo, filiceous earth is found, pure and concrete, and of fuch hardness as to fcrape glafs. See Macie upon Tabafheer in the Philos. Trans. of London. (13.) This most interefting addition to our knowledge upon the power always exifting in the live cane to retain filiceous earth in a state of liberty, excited me to feek that mean which feemed to me best adapted to fuch folution, I mean mineral alkali in the fresh juice of fome plant which might moft refemble the bamboo, and for this purpofe, I took the common cane of this kingdom (arundo donax (rofeau), and infufing into its juice fome few drops of fpirits of fea falt, I gained, by flow evaporation, little cubes of marine falt, a proof of the prefence of mineral alkali which I fought for. Sufpecting the purity of the acid I had employed, which might perhaps hold folution marine falt already formed: to convince myself more fully, I expofed to flow evaporation the decoction of the faid juice, made with diftilled water as before, without any infufion of fpirit of marine falt; but it happened to me to difcover, what eyen until now I have been unable to explain, that is, to find cubes of fea falt alfo this time, and in fuch 337 abundance, that it being impoffible it |