112 REMARKS ON THE 



members of the series were composed of fragments, which 

 must have existed previously in a different state : hence he 

 inferred, that these rocks were formed at a subsequent period, 

 which, from their constituent parts, he conchided, must have 

 been after the creation of hving animals, and nearly at the 

 time when the earth passed from its chaotic to its habitable 

 state * ; and on these grounds he distinguished this class by the 

 name of Transition. 



To this another class succeeded, also presenting new and di- 

 stinct characters, one of the most remarkable of which is posi- 

 tion. They are never found conformable with the transition 

 rocks ; while these present an uneven or serrated outline, ei- 

 ther from the natural contortions of the strata, or the bro- 

 ken edo'es of the highly inclined beds ; the rocks which suc- 

 ceed, fill up the inequalities, and assume an horizontal posi- 

 tion. To them he gave the name of Floetz rocks. 



Thus the system is divided into three great classes, the Pri- 

 mitive, Transition, and Floetz. 



Althouo-h the Transition has been known in this country as 

 a separate class, only within a few years, yet it occupies a lar- 

 ger superficial extent in these islands, than any other rock-for- 

 mation. But before I proceed to trace its limits, it may be 

 proper to explain what is understood by the Transition Se- 

 ries. 



In doing this, and, indeed, in whatever else I have stated, 

 with respect to the Wernerian Geognosy, I beg to be under- 

 stood as having taken it from that work, which I consider as 

 containing the most authentic account of the system taught at 

 Freybero- ; I mean the third volume of Professor Jameson's 

 Mineralof^y. As Werner has published no account of it himself, 

 it is only from the works of his pupils that we can become ac- 

 quainted with his system. After the intense labour which has 



been 



* Jameson's Mineralogy, vol. in. p. 146. 



