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rapidly. Steno, ;i Dane, to whom are owing many important views in 

 regard to the origin of different kinds of strata, first recorded the fact 

 that the oldest rocks are unfossiliferous. In spite of the advance in 

 knowledge the general belief was that fossil remains were deposited by 

 the Mosaic deluge, and this belief being opposed by courageous men and 

 the conflict as to the nature of the fossils being fairly settled, the ground 

 of discussion was transferred to Noah's flood, and until the close of the 

 eighteenth century the theologians had their own way — they pointed 

 out that Noah's deluge was universal, that all life, except what Noah 

 saved, was destroyed, and that it followed thac fossils were relics left 

 by the flood. Several dissented, Voltaire and Buffon among the number, 

 but the latter being politely invited by the College to recant and fearing 

 the delicate attentions of his opponents, recanted accordingly. 



The beginning of our century marked the commencement of the 

 study of fossils as a science, and the advance since then — and for the 

 first time in history — has been rapid and continuous. I regret we have 

 not time to refer to its triumphs in detail. 



This brings us back to Lyell's definition of a fossil as " any body 

 or the traces of the existence of any body, whether animal or vegetable, 

 which has been buried in the earth by natural causes." At first all 

 objects dug up, whether organic or mineral, were called fossil, but when 

 organic remains became generally understood the distinction was made. 

 Palaeontology is a modern term, which first came into use in 1830. 

 Petrifactions form the most numerous class of fossils, being actual 

 portions of animal or vegetable organisms, such as the shells of molluscs, 

 the skeletons of corals, the crusts of crustaceans, the bones, teeth and 

 scales of fish, the bones and teeth of reptiles and mammals, the bark 

 leaves or seeds of plants, " and these may be preserved very much in 

 their original condition, or may be altered subsequent to their burial." 

 But, in addition to these two principal kinds, there are the traces 

 referred to in the definition quoted, among which traces are the moulds 

 or casts of shells, and the footprints left by animals upon sand or mud 

 The " alterations subsequent to their burial " are usually replacements 

 which either show intimate structure as well as in the original, or fail 

 to do so, the failure or success being proportionate to the rapidity or 

 slowness of decay. The soft or fleshy parts in all cases disappear. 



