IO PRINCIPLES OF PALAONTOLOGY. 
this infinity. Insufferable is the glory of God. Let me lie 
down in the grave, and hide me from the persecution of the 
Infinite, for end, I see, there is none.” 
CHAPTER F. 
THE SCOPE AND MATERIALS OF PALAZONTOLOGY. 
The study of the rock-masses which constitute the crust of the 
earth, if carried out in the methodical and scientific manner of 
the geologist, at once brings us, as has been before remarked, 
in contact with the remains or traces of living beings which 
formerly dwelt upon the globe. Such remains are found, in 
greater or less abundance, in the great majority of rocks; and 
they are not only of great interest in themselves, but they have 
proved of the greatest importance as throwing light upon vari- 
ous difficult problems in geology, in natural history, in botany, 
and in philosophy. Their study constitutes the science of 
paleontology; and though it is possible to proceed to a cer- 
tain length in geology and zoology without much palzontolo- 
gical knowledge, it is hardly possible to attain to a satisfac- 
tory general acquaintance with either of these subjects with- 
out having mastered the leading facts of the first. Similarly, 
it is not possible to study paleontology without some ac- 
quaintance with both geology and natural history. 
PALEONTOLOGY, then, is the science which treats of the 
living beings, whether animal or vegetable, which have in- 
habited the earth during past periods of its history. Its object 
is to eludicate, as far as may be, the structure, mode of exist- 
ence, and habits of all such ancient forms of life; to determine 
their position in the scale of organised beings; to lay down 
the geographical limits within which they flourished ; and to 
fix the period of their advent and disappearance. It is the 
ancient life-history of the earth ; and were its record complete, 
it would furnish us with a detailed knowledge of the form and 
relations of all the animals and plants which have at any period 
flourished upon the land-surfaces of the globe or inhabited its 
waters ; it would enable us to determine precisely their succes- 
sion in time; and it would place in our hands an unfailing key 
to the problems of evolution. Unfortunately, from causes 
which will be subsequently discussed, the palzontological 
record is extremely imperfect, and our knowledge is inter- 
