Dr. Fitton's Notes on the History of English Geology, 45 



to the Rev. Joseph Townsend, of Bath ; at whose house the 

 former wrote, from Smith's dictation, and at the suggestion of 

 Townsend, that " Tabular View " of the order of the strata in 

 the vicinity of Bath, witli their respective organic remains, of 

 which the original is now in the museum of the Geological 

 Society. A copy of this very remarkable document is inserted 

 in the present paper (see the Table in p. 46 and 47) ; and it is 

 unquestionably one of the most striking examples of elaborate 

 and successful research which the history of geology affords. 

 It will be perceived, as Mr. Sedgwick observes*, that the suc- 

 cessive groups from the chalk to the coal-measures inclusive, 

 are here denoted by series of numbers ; the author not having 

 then decided upon those names for them which he subse- 

 quently adopted, and which still form a part of the geological 

 nomenclature of England. 



From such interviews, and from excursions with Smith 

 himself in the neighbourhood of Bath, Mr. Townsend became 

 fully possessed both of his principles, and of the detail of his 

 results : and the knowledge thus acquired he published sub- 

 sequently (in 1813) in a volume, already mentioned; — which, 

 notwithstanding the incongruity of its title, and the introduc- 

 tion of a great deal of extraneous matter, is the best exposi- 

 tion of Smith's labours that has appeared. But it is to be 

 lamented, if Mr. Townsend's purpose was to place the works 

 of Smith effectually before the public, that he did not choose 

 for his book a title and ostensible subject more congenial : 

 since in its actual form, there was nothing to attract an un- 

 learned reader desirous of obtaining geological information ; 

 — and much to repel those who were acquainted with geo- 

 logical history, and with the unhappy results of that alliance, 

 which it is professedly the object of Mr. Townsend's volume 

 to support. 



At this period, 1 799, Mr. Smith had coloured geologically 

 the old county survey of Somersetshire, and a small circu- 

 lar map of the country around Bath; both works of great 

 merit ; — the latter especially, giving proof of extraordinary tact 

 in detailing the minuter divisions of strata. The original of 

 this circular map has been presented to the Geological Society, 

 and is now in their Museum. 



Mr. Richardson now justly felt, that the time was come when 

 Smith was called upon to assert his claims to his own dis- 

 coveries; and on the pressing suggestion of that excellent 

 friend, a Prospectus was published and extensively distributed, 



* Geological Soc. Proceedings, 1831 ; and Phil. Mag. and Annals, N.S. 

 vol. ix. p. £76. 



