[2683] Democritus, amongst the ancients, and Savonarola and Cardan, in more recent times, have attributed to stones the powers of reproduction. Vivès speaks of certain diamonds which conceive and fructify; and Avicenna speaks of the selenite or moon-stone of Arabia, which, when suspended from a tree, generates other stones of a similar nature. Tournefort also entertained similar opinions.
[2684] Fossil teeth of mammiferæ, probably.
[2685] Fossil animal remains, no doubt.
[2686] Cneius Pompeius. See B. iii. c. 3.
[2687] “Palmati.” This is more probably the meaning, than the “human palm,” as Littré renders it. They were fossil impressions of leaves, in all probability.
[2688] See Chapter [43] of this Book: also B. iv. cc. 7, 8.
[2689] Stones so called, possibly, from being found in the vicinity of Cora in Italy: See B. iii. c. 9. These stones are also mentioned by Isidorus, Orig. B. xvi. c. 4.
[2690] Identified by Ajasson and Desfontaines? with Quartz molar agate, very abundant in this volcanic region of Italy.
[2691] “Molares.” “Millstone.”