FOSSEL, in natural history, denotes, in general, every thing dug out of the earth, whether they be natives thereof, as metals, stones, salts, earths, and other minerals; or extraneous, reposed in the bowels of the earth by some extraordinary means, as earthquakes, the deluge, &c. See METAL, STONE, &c.
Native fossils, according to Dr Hill, are substances found either buried in the earth, or lying on its surface, of a plain simple structure, and shewing no signs of containing vessels or circulating juices. These are subdivided, by the same author, 1. Into fossils naturally and essentially simple. Of these, some are neither inflammable, nor soluble in water; as simple earths, talcs, fibræ, gypsum, selenite, crystal, and spars: others, though unflamable, are soluble in water; as all the simple salts: and others, on the contrary, are inflammable, but not soluble in water; as sulphur, auripigmentum, zarnich, amber, ambergrease, gagates, asphaltum, ampelites, lithanthrax, naphtha, and pis-sasphaltum. 2. The second general subdivision of fossils comprehends all such as are naturally compound, but unmetallic. Of these, some are neither inflammable, nor soluble in water; as compound earths, stones, septaræ, siderochita, scupi, semipellucid gems, lithidia, conissalæ, and pellucid gems: others are soluble in water, but not inflammable; as all the metallic salts: and, lastly, some are inflammable, but not soluble in water; as the marcasites, pyritæ, and phlogonia. 3. The third, and last, general division of fossils comprehends all the metallic ones; which are bodies naturally hard, remarkable heavy, and fusible in fire. Of these, some are perfectly metallic, as being malleable when pure; such are gold, lead, silver, copper, iron, and tin: others are imperfectly metallic, as not being malleable even in their purest state; such are antimony, bismuth, cobalt, zinc, and quicksilver or mercury. Of all which substances, the reader will find a particular description under their respective heads, EARTH, TALC, MERCURY, GYPSUM, &c.
Extraneous fossils are bodies of the vegetable or animal
mal kingdoms accidentally buried in the earth. Of the vegetable kingdom, there are principally three kinds, trees or parts of them, herbaceous plants, and corals; and of the animal kingdom there are four kinds, sea-shells, the teeth or bony palates and bones of fishes, complete fishes, and the bones of land-animals. See TREE, WOOD, PLANT, SHELL, &c.
As to the reason why these extraneous fossils come to be lodged in the bowels of the earth, the common opinion is, that this great change was effected by the universal deluge. See DELUGE.