XIV CONTENTS. 
PAGE 
North of Scotland girdled by an immense Belt cf Old Red 
Sandstone. — Line of the Girdle along the Coast. — Marks of 
vast Denudation. — Its Extent partially indicated by Hills on 
the western Coast of Ross-shire.—The System of great 
Depth in the North of Scotland. — Difficulties in the Way of 
estimating the Thickness of Deposits. — Peculiar Formation 
of Hill. — Illustrated by Ben Nevis. — Caution to the Geologi- 
cal Critic. — Lower Old Red Sandstone immensely developed 
in Caithness. — Sketch of the Geology of that County. —Its 
strange Group of Fossils.— their present Place of Sepulture. 
— Their ancient Habitat. — Agassiz. ——- Amazing Progress of 
Fossil Ichthyology during the last few Years. — Its Nomen- 
clature. — Learned Names repel unlearned Readers. — Not a 
great deal in them, : , ‘ . ° . ° 15-34 - 
CHAPTE HoT 
Lamarck’s Theory of Progression illustrated. — Class of Facts 
which give Color to it.— The Credulity of Unbelief.— M. 
Maillet and his Fish-birds. — Gradation not Progress. — Geo- 
logical Argument.— The Present incomplete without the 
Past. — Intermediate Links of Creation. — Organisms of the 
Lower Old Red Sandstone. — The Pterichthys. —Its first Dis- 
covery. — Mr. Murchison’s Decision regarding it. — Confirmed 
by that of Agassiz. — Description. — The several Varieties 
of the Fossil yet discovered. — Evidence of violent Death 
in the Attitudes in which they are found. —The Coccosteus 
of the Lower Old Red.— Description. — Gradations from 
Crustacea to Fishes. — Habits of the Coccosteus. — Scarcely 
any Conception too extravagant for Nature to realize, . 35-64 
