[Fossil Madrepores ?-J. B.]
The free-stone of Haselbury [near Box] hath, amongst severall other
shells, perfect petrified scalop-shells. The rough stone about
Chippenham (especially at Cockleborough) is full of petrified cockles.
But all about the countrey between that and Tedbury, and about
Malmesbury hundred, the rough stones are full of small shells like
little cockles, about the bigness of a halfpenny.
At Dinton, on the hills on both sides, are perfect petrified shells in
great abundance, something like cockles, but neither striated, nor
invecked, nor any counter-shell to meet, but plaine and with a long
neck of a reddish gray colour, the inside part petrified sand; of
which sort I gave a quantity to the R. Society about twenty yeares
since; the species whereof Mr. Hooke says is now lost.
On Bannes-downe, above Ben-Eston near Bathe, [Banner-downe, near Bath-
Easton.- J. B.] where a battle of king Arthur was fought, are great
stones scattered in the same manner as they are on Durnham-downe,
about Bristow, which was assuredly the work of an earthquake, when these
great cracks and vallies were made.
The like dispersion of great stones is upon the hills by Chedar rocks,
as all about Charter House, [Somersetshire,] and the like at the
forest at Fountain-Bleau, in France; and so in severall parts of
England, and yet visible the remarques of earthquakes and volcanoes;
but in time the husbandmen will cleare their ground of them, as at
Durnham-downe they are exceedingly diminished since my remembrance, by
making lime of them.
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