Mammalian Remains at Maidstone. 593 



tained in most rocks, appears to be the principal agent in 

 many of these operations, and particularly in the formation of 

 veins of minerals. It often renders the oxides of metals 

 soluble in water ; and, as it very frequently assumes an aerial 

 state, it undoubtedly, like other volatile substances, renders a 

 portion of the earths and metals volatile also ; as lead is ren- 

 dered volatile by a mixture of oil of turpentine. There are 

 many springs near to gypsum from which sulphuretted hydro- 

 gen is always rising (they also generally contain muriate of 

 lime) ; and the general trouble experienced in almost all mines 

 from fire-damp, proves that there are always processes going 

 on in the bowels of the earth by which water is decomposed, 

 and hydrogen, the lightest known aerial fluid, set free. Car- 

 bonic acid also exists in the earth in great quantities as a 

 component of limestone : this always assumes an aerial state 

 when it comes in contact with other acids. As there are, 

 therefore, such considerable quantities of elastic fluids con- 

 tained in the earth, and as it is a known property of volatile 

 substances to bear with them, when they assume a gaseous 

 form, a certain portion of any fixed substance with which they 

 were combined, it cannot appear improbable, that mineral 

 substances may, in an aerial state, change their situations 

 in masses of rock, and that crystallisation, particularly, may 

 have been formed from the materials dissolved in an elastic 

 fluid. 



From all I have observed, I am compelled to believe that 

 we have no proof that any mass of rocks in this province has 

 existed in its present state from the creation. I believe that 

 we have fertile lands formed from materials which once were 

 rock ; that we have masses of rock which once were earth ; 

 that there have been changes within the rocks as well as on 

 the surface ; and that these changes will continue till they are 

 brought to a conclusion by the last great change. 



Art. VII. On some Deposits containing Mammalian Remains, at 

 Maidstone, Kent. By John Morris, Esq. 



The general substratum, in the immediate vicinity of 

 Maidstone, is the lower green sand, in which numerous 

 quarries are worked for extracting the ragstone, and other 

 layers, used for building, repairing the roads, &c. The river 

 Med way at this town divides the lower green sand into two 

 ridges, flowing through a transverse valley of that formation 

 from Yalding to near Aylesford ; below which it cuts a small 



Vol. IX, — No. 67. x x 



