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POPULAR MISCELLANY. 



Reality of Geological Catastrophes. — In 



a review of the history of the theories of 

 the development of the earth's crust — that 

 of uniformitarianism and that of catastro- 

 phes — in his address at the British Associa- 

 tion, Prof. Archibald Geikie spoke of a modi- 

 fication or enlargement of the uniformitarian 

 doctrine which has been brought about by 

 continued investigation of the terrestrial crust 

 and consequent increase of knowledge re- 

 specting the history of the earth. " Though 

 Hutton and Playfair believed in periodical 

 catastrophes, and indeed required these to 

 recur in order to renew and preserve the 

 habitable condition of our planet, their suc- 

 cessors gradually came to view with repug- 



nance any appeal to abnormal, and especially 

 to violent, manifestations of terrestrial vigor, 

 and even persuaded themselves that such 

 slow and comparatively feeble action as had 

 been witnessed by man could alone be recog- 

 nized in the evidence from which geological 

 history must be compiled. Well do I re- 

 member in my own boyhood what a cardinal 

 article of faith this prepossession had be- 

 come. We were taught by our great and 

 honored master, Lyell, to believe implicitly 

 in gentle and uniform operations, extended 

 over indefinite periods of time, though pos- 

 sibly some, with the zeal of partisans, carried 

 this belief to an extreme which Lyell him- 

 self did not approve. The most stupendous 

 marks of terrestrial disturbance, such as the 

 structure of great mountain chains, were 

 deemed to be more satisfactorily accounted 

 for by slow movements prolonged through 

 indefinite ages than by any sudden convul- 

 sion. What the more extreme members of 

 the uniformitarian school failed to perceive 

 was the absence of all evidence that terres- 

 trial catastrophes even on a colossal scale 

 might not be a part of the present economy 

 of this globe. Such occurrences might never 

 seriously affect the whole earth at one time, 

 and might return at such wide intervals that 

 no example of them has yet been chronicled 

 by man. But that they have occurred again 

 and again, and even within comparatively re- 

 cent geological times, hardly admits of serious 

 doubt. How far at different epochs and in 

 various degrees they may have included the 

 operation of cosmical influences lying wholly 

 outside the planet, and how far they have re- 

 sulted from movements within the body 

 of the planet itself, must remain for fur- 

 ther inquiry. Yet the admission that they 

 have played a part in geological history 

 may be freely made without impairing the 

 real value of the Huttonian doctrine, that in 

 the interpretation of this history our main 

 guide must be a knowledge of the existing 

 processes of terrestrial change." 



Physiological Action at a Distance. — 



Discussing the cause of physiological action 

 at a distance, in the British Association, 

 Prof. Errera, of Brussels, said that most 

 vegetable organs were sensitive to the in- 

 fluences of the environment, and responded 

 to these stimuli, as long as they were 



