430 A SHORT HISTORY OF SCIENCE 



We have now arrived at the era of living authors, and shall bring 

 to a conclusion our sketch of the progress of opinion in Geology. . . . 

 A new school at last arose who professed the strictest neutrality, and 

 the utmost indifference to the systems of Werner and Hutton, and 

 who were resolved diligently to devote their labours to observation. 

 The reaction, provoked by the intemperance of the conflicting par- 

 ties, now produced a tendency to extreme caution. Speculative 

 views were discountenanced, and through fear of exposing themselves 

 to the suspicion of a bias towards the dogmas of a party, some geol- 

 ogists became anxious to entertain no opinion whatever on the causes 

 of phenomena, and were inclined to scepticism even where the con- 

 clusions deducible from observed facts scarcely admitted of reasonable 

 doubt. 



Geological Society of London. But although the reluctance to 

 theorize was carried somewhat to excess, no measure could be more 

 salutary at such a moment than a suspension of all attempts to form 

 what were termed " theories of the earth." A great body of new data 

 were required, and the Geological Society of London, founded in 

 1807, conduced greatly to the attainment of this desirable end. To 

 multiply and record observations, and patiently to await the result 

 at some future period, was the object proposed by them, and it was 

 their favourite maxim that the time was not yet come for a general 

 system of geology, but that all must be content for many years to be 

 exclusively engaged in furnishing materials for future generalizations. 

 By acting up to these principles with consistency, they in a few years 

 disarmed all prejudice, and rescued the science from the imputation 

 of being a dangerous, or at best but a visionary pursuit. 



MODERN PROGRESS OF GEOLOGY 



Study of Organic Remains. Inquiries were at the same time 

 prosecuted with great success by the French naturalists, who devoted 

 their attention especially to the study of organic remains. They 

 shewed that the specific characters of fossil shells and vertebrated 

 animals might be determined with the utmost precision, and by their 

 exertions a degree of accuracy was introduced into this department 

 of science, of which it had never before been deemed susceptible. It 

 was found that, by the careful discrimination of the fossil contents of 

 strata, the contemporary origin of different groups could often be 



