36 NOTICES OF THE MEETINGS | March 7, 
“in human history. At the same time geologists have shown upon 
“clear evidences, that during the long and comparatively tranquil 
“‘former period which intermitted with geological revolutions, there 
‘‘ was a constant exhibition of diurnal agencies similar to those which 
‘* prevail in the present world. In those older times, rain must have 
“fallen as now, — volcanic forces must have been active in scattering 
‘ashes far and wide, and in spreading them out together with sheets 
‘‘of lava beneath the waters, — gradual movements of oscillation 
‘and moderate elevations and depressions must have occurred, —long 
“continued abrasion of the sides of mountains must have produced 
“copious accumulations of ‘débris’ to encroach upon lakes, the 
“ overflow or bursting of which may have sterilized whole tracts. 
“ A}l such and many more modifications of the ancient surfaces of 
“‘the globe, including many slight breaks in the long career, were 
‘doubtlessly common to all epochs. But whilst no such operations 
‘can be compared with those phenomena of disruption and over- 
“turning of mountain masses which have been specially dwelt upon 
‘‘ this evening, so also according to my view it isimpossible, that any 
“‘amount of small agencies, if continued for millions of years, could 
‘have produced such results. 
«Tn thus attempting to shadow out in the space of an hour all the 
‘‘ chief formations and transmutations of a chain like the Alps, I have 
“« probably laboured to effect what many persons may deem impossi- 
“ble; but I have thought that some at least of these evening dis- 
‘‘courses should awaken the mind to the larger features of each 
“science, the details of which must be followed out in courses of 
‘lectures. I would beg, therefore, those persons who have not 
*‘ studied geology practically, to dwell chiefly on the facts brought 
“forward, and to believe that they are indisputably and clearly 
“proven. They tell us unmistakeably how different creations of 
“‘animal and vegetable life are entombed in these vast monuments 
‘‘of ancient nature, and they reveal to us that each creation of the 
“‘ successive inhabitants of the surface lived during very long periods 
‘‘of time. They announce to us, in emphatic language, how 
‘ordinary operations of accumulation were continued tranquilly 
‘‘during very lengthened epochs, and how such tranquillity was 
‘broken in upon by great convulsions. 
‘‘ Being thus led to ponder upon the long history of successive races 
‘and also upon some of the most wonderful physical revolutions the 
“chain has undergone, we cannot avoid arriving at the belief, that, 
“in addition to many other great operations, the disruption which 
“‘upheaved the middle and younger Tertiary formations from beneath 
“the waters, and threw them up into mountain masses accompanying 
“the production of the first great arctic period known in the history 
“‘ of the planet, was a change of inmeasurable intensity. That change, 
“in short, by which a period of snow, ice, glaciers, floating ice-bergs, 
‘‘and the transport of huge erratics far from the sources of their 
“‘ origin, suddenly followed a genial and Mediterranean clime ! ”’ 
RN. LONE. 
