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



per; so that the series of figures may serve to place before 

 the eye of the reader some ot the most important steps which 

 geological science has made in this country. The first figure 

 of the plate represents a real section, by Mr. Strachey, of 

 a colliery in Somersetshire, — in which the relative position of 

 the red-marl and superior strata, and of the coal-measures, is 

 distinctly seen. The second figure proves that Strachey was 

 acquainted also with nearly the whole of the English series 

 of strata, though he suffered himself to be called aside from 

 the facts, by a fanciful and extravagant hypothesis as to their 

 inclined position. The third figure* is that by which Mr. 

 Michell illustrates his masterly exposition of the structure of 

 the globe. It is in truth an abstract section, on a very small 

 scale, of what really exists in nature. The fourth figure is 

 Smith's section of England just mentioned; and was at the 

 time of its publication not only the first and most perfect 

 display of the strata of this island ever published, but un- 

 questionably one of the most perfect sections of any portion 

 of the globe so complex, which ever had been produced. It 

 is necessary, for the purpose of rendering the numbers on 

 this section intelligible, to subjoin a List of the strata to which 

 they refer, and this has been taken from the engraved table in 

 Mr. Smith's memoir connected with his map. [See the List 

 at page 55.J The reader will thus be in possession of the 

 state of our knowledge respecting the English series at the 

 date of its appearance; and a comparison with the recent list 

 of the strata, on the same page, will show the changes which 

 the farther researches of the last fifteen years have introduced f . 

 One remark only may be offered here, with respect to the 

 lowest members of the series in Smith's maps and sections, 

 which are confessedly the most imperfect portion of his 

 work; — and though derived from theory, it may perhaps be de- 

 serving of attention. It will be seen, even from the section, 

 (fig. 4.) that the lines of stratification above the coal-measures, 

 and on the east of the districts occupied by the slate and other 

 transition rocks, are nearly parallel; all declining uniformly 

 towards the south of east. But no such lines are visible to the 

 westward : the strata thereabouts are contorted and confused ; 

 and it has been doubted whether any such permanence really 

 exists among them, as will bear a comparison with that which 

 has been shown to prevail among the higher members of the 

 secondary series. May it not be inquired, Whether this incon- 



* From the Phil. Trans, 1760. vol. li. p. 566. 



f The coincidence of the list of 1815, with the 'Tabular view' of 1799, 

 (see pages 46 and 47) proves very remarkably the accuracy of the observa- 

 tions of that earlier date. 



