Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 003.djvu/150

 growes to that hardness, as 'tis found in the shops of Apothecaries.

6. It seems to be a kind of Marle, or to have great affinity with it; of which we here also have great store, yet not near those places, where, I have found Osteocolla.

7. It requireth also time to come to maturity; which appears from hence, that in the very same place, where I digg'd some of it the last year, I this year found others; yet with this difference, that those were grown hard, after the manner before described, but these remain still soft and friable, though now in the fifth Moneth.

8. The cause of its being divided into so many branches, I conjecture to be from the Roots, which spread themselves here and there in the Earth, so that the matter gathers and setleth its self about them, and afterwards according to the division of the roots, acquires a plantal form and appearance. Whence it also seems to proceed, that through the midi! of the Osteocolla there alwayes passeth a dark line, which is thought to be a piece of the Root. And it often happens, that that stroke loseth it self by little and little, and the Osteocolla in the middle grows clear; which comes to passe, when the Root by the corruption, begun in the Osteocolla, is reduced to powder. Yet have I found a place hereabout, where the Osteocolla was not hollow at all; but there I observed, that in stead of setling about a big root, it had gathered it self about many small fibres; whence also this sort had acquired pores thorough its whole length, but no cavity, like the other.

On another occasion I may also communicate to you some particulars concerning the Gramen Ischæmon, call'd by others Gramen Dactyloides, or Sanguinella; and the Gramen Aquaticum cum longissima pannicula, mention'd by Bauhinus, and growing here in great plenty; as also the Observables in the Forest, call'd the Hartz, which I intend shortly to visit, and wherein are to be found very considerable both Copper and Silver-Mines, store of Lapis fissilis, and a sort of stone, which by Raine grows altogether soft, and a place, call'd Bawmans Hole, like that of Oky-hole about Wells in England, &c.

I shall now conclude with giving you notice, that the 1. of Rh