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XXII. Free Remarks on the Geologicai Work of Mr. Green- 

 OUGH. By Mr. John Farey, Sen. Mineral Surveyor. 



To Mr. Tilloch. 



Sir, — IVIr, Greenough, who was the first President of the 

 Geological Society of London, and now again fills that situation, 

 has at length appeared before the public in the character of au 

 Author: his Work, entitled, "A Critical Examination of the first 

 Principles of Geology," follows very closely in the steps of that 

 of Dr. Kidd*, in labouring excessively to show, that scarcely any 

 thing of real knowledge yet exists, respecting the compositiony 

 the structure, and the past history of the crust of the Earth ! !. 

 On scarcely any of the numerous points of Geological Theory or 

 the general Inferences from Geological Facts, which Mr. Green- 

 ough's Work brings under review, does he seem able to have made 

 up an opinion, and for want of which, his readers are throughout 

 bewildered, by a mass of contradictory extracts from those Autliors 

 (certainly not a few) whom Mr. G. (in imitation of Dr. K.) in a 

 somewhat arbitrary, and sometimes, as it appears to me, in an 

 unfair manner, selects, as authorities in Geological matters: and 

 too often also, the Author's own remarks are found £t variance 

 with e.ich other. 



In thus freelv stating my opinion on the general character of 

 Mr. G's Work, as appears to me after very carefully and re- 

 peatedly perusing it, I by no means wish or intend to deny it the 

 merit, of containing a great many original and useful local Obser- 

 vations, and also several Inferences and Remarks, which had not 

 previously been published, and for performing which service to 

 Geology, no one in England, feels more grateful to Mr. G. than 

 myself: although on the whole, I cannot consider his conduct fair, 

 or' his Work as likely to advance, but rather to retard, the n^.arch 

 of Geological knowledge. 



The subject of Organic Remains, and of Fossil Shells in par- 

 ticular, appearing to me of paramount importance, amongst Geo- 

 logical ph.enomena, I shall on the present occasion, principally 

 confine uiv remarks to the manner in which Mr. G. has handled 

 some of tliis part of bis subject, which is found either incidentally 

 or more formaliv introduced, at pages 27, -^-J, 17i^to 184, 203, 

 207, 2i;>, 220 to 22,j, 227, and 28 1 to 304. 



in page 284 Mr. Greenough, in evident allusion to the ques 

 tion which has often been agitated in your pages, viz. how tar 

 Mr. W. Smith is to be considered as a discoverer of the connec- 



• On tins Work I offered some strictures, in your 45th vol. j). 338 ; see 

 also vol.52, p. 184 Note, 



tioii 



