in the Coal Formation at War die. 155 



indentations of the land, into which this mass of vegetable mat- 

 ter was brought by rivers, while the sea made occasional, or in 

 some instances continuous incursions. In this manner we can 

 easily see how, by accidental circumstances, the productions of 

 the land or sea in greater or less abundance are occasionally met 

 with in the strata of the carboniferous series, and how in one 

 coal district an examination of its organic remains may afford 

 one individual reason to believe, that the strata were chief- 

 ly deposited in salt water ; a second, from the examination of a 

 different locaHty, that they are entirely fluviatile, or probably he 

 may imagine them lacustrine ; while a third may see the same 

 organic remains which have given rise to the two former opinions 

 so mixed up and incorporated together in another place, as to 

 leave no doubt on his mind that the two former cases were only 

 extreme degrees of what he had noticed. 



The examination of the strata in this place, then, is well cal- 

 culated to clear up any prejudiced notions which we may have 

 formed on the subject of the formation of coal strata ; for the 

 organic remains, and their relative positions which we have 

 mentioned, go far in shewing the very frequent alternations, 

 nay, admixtures of the same kind of organic remains in the 

 same rock, which, when taken singly, has led to such contrariety 

 of opinions. 



On the Account of the Creation in the Fir.st Chapter of Genesis. 

 By Charles Babbage, Esq., F. R. S. E. 



A STRANGE and singular argument has frequently been 

 brought against the truth of the facts presented to us by geo- 

 logy, — facts which every instructed person may confirm by the 

 evidence of his senses. It has been stated that they cannot be 

 true, because, if admitted, they lead inevitably to the conclusion, 

 that the Earth has existed for an enormous period, extending 

 pirhaps, over millions of years ; whereas, it was supposed, from 

 the history of the creation, as delivered by Moses, that the Eartli 

 was first created about six thousand years ago. 



A different interpretation has been lately put upon that passao-c 

 of the sacred writings, and, according to the highest authorities 



