Progress of Geology. ^^Y 



mains being still strenuously asserted to bie nothing more than 

 links in the progressive series by which unorganised matter is 

 connected with the animal world. 



Both the naturalists, Llwydd and Lister, seemed to have 

 noticed that certain of these fossil shells were peculiar to, and 

 afforded the means of distinguishing, certain rocks. They did 

 not pursue their observations sufficiently far to apply this dis- 

 covery extensively in classing the strata, but they are entitled 

 to the merit of having recognised the principle. To the latter 

 naturalist is also due the credit of suggesting, in 1684, the 

 construction of maps, to denote, by colours, the superficial 

 extent and boundaries of soils, clays, rocks, and mineral strata ; 

 for, as he sagaciously observes, " tsoe shall be better able to judge 

 oftlie make of the earth, and of the many phenomena belong- 

 ing thereto, 'wheii we shall have well . and duly examined it, as 

 far as human art can possibly reach, beginning from the out- 

 side, downwards." 



Towards the middle of the eighteenth century, and extend- 

 ing to the nineteenth, correct arid enlarged views began to be 

 entertained : on the Continent, as to the constancy in the posi- 

 tion of fossil shells, in peculiar beds, and as to the distinctions 

 between the primary and secondary rocks ; in England, as to 

 the predominant characters of our most remarkable strata, 

 their identity and continuity. In the list of foreign contribu- 

 tors, during this period, occur the names of Guettard, Leh- 

 man, Rouelle, BufFon, Werner, Saussure, and Pallas ; in 

 the English, we record those of Mitchell, Whitehurst, Hutton, 

 and Play fair. 



We now approach an importaiit epoch in the history of this 

 science in England. The appearance of the first geological 

 map, by Mr. William Smith, in the year 1815, after twenty- 

 five years of unremitting application to the project, is an event 

 of some moment. On the merit of this great performance,, it 

 is not practicable to enlarge here. Suffice it to quote the de- 

 served encomium of a philosopher of another country, M.D'Au- 

 buisson. "That which the most distinguished mineralogists have 

 done in a small part of Germany, in half a century, a single 

 individual has undertaken and effected for the whole of Eng- 

 land : and his work, as beautiful for its result as it is astonish- 

 ing for its detail, has led to the conclusion, that England is 

 regularly divided into beds ; that the order of their position 

 is never inverted ; and that precisely similar fossils are found 

 in all parts of the same bed, and at remote distances." 



A few years prior to this event, the number of enquirers 

 into this interesting science had considerably augmented. 

 Numerous individuals, highly qualified for the employment, 



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