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West from Highworth, towards Cricklad, are stones as big, or bigger
than one's head, that lie common even in the highway, which are
petrified sea-mushromes. They looke like honeycombs, but the holes are
not hexagons, but round. They are found from Lydiard Tregoze to Cumnor
in Barkshire, in which field I have also seen them. [See page 9.-J.
B.]
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At Steeple Ashton are frequently found stones resembling the picture
of the unicorne's horn, but not tapering. They are about the bignesse
of a cart-rope, and are of a reddish gray colour.
In the vicaridge garden at Bower Chalke are found petrified oyster
shells; which the learned Mr. Lancelot Morehouse, who lived there some
yeares, assured me: and I am informed since that there are also cockle
shells and scalop shells. Also in the parish of Wotton Basset are
found petrified oyster shells; and there are also found cornua ammonis
of a reddish gray, but not very large. About two or three miles from
the Devises are found in a pitt snake-stones (cornua ammonis) no
bigger than a sixpence, of a black colour. Mr. John Beaumont, Junr.,
of Somersetshire, a great naturalist, tells me that some-where by
Chilmarke lies in the chalke a bed of stones called "echini marini".
He also enformes me that, east of Bitteston, in the estate of Mr.
Montjoy, is a spring,-they call it a holy well,-where five-pointed
stones doe bubble up (Astreites) which doe move in vinegar.
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