﻿Notice of Dr. Mantell's Medals of Creation. 105 



Art. XI. — Notice of the Medals of Creation, or First Lessons in 

 Geology, and in the Study of Organic Remaiiis ; by Gideon 

 Algernon Mantell, LL. D., F. R. S., Author of the Wonders 

 of Geology, &c. In two volumes, 12mo : Vol. I, containing Ve- 

 getables, Infusoria, Zoophytes, Echinodermes, and Mollusca ; 

 Vol. II, containing Fossil Cephalopoda?, Insects, Fishes, Rep- 

 tiles, Birds, and Mammalia, with notes of Geological Excursions. 



" Behold a new kind of medals, much more important and incomparably more 

 ancient than all those of the Greeks and Romans." — Knorr, Monumens des Ca- 

 tastrophes. 



" It is not one of the least advantages of these pursuits that they are altogether 

 independent of external circumstances, and may be enjoyed in every situation in 

 which a man may be placed in life."— Herschel, on the Study of Natural Phi- 

 losophy. 



These beautiful volumes contain more than 1000 pages of 

 about 1200 letters to a page ; and they are printed in the best 

 style of London typography, with fine paper and a great number 

 of illustrations contained in seven copper-plate engravings exqui- 

 sitely done and colored, and 167 wood-cuts of unrivalled beauty. 

 The latter are called by the author lignographs, and lign. as the 

 abbreviation. The work is dedicated to the eminent geologist, 

 Charles Lyell, Esq., the author's early friend. 



In his address to the reader, Dr. Mantell states, that his great 

 object has been to produce a work which shall " initiate the 

 young and uninstructed in the study of the Medals of the 

 Creation — those electrotypes of nature — the mineralized remains 

 of the plants and animals which successively flourished in the 

 earlier ages of our planet, in periods incalculably remote, and 

 long antecedent to all human history and tradition." These vol- 

 umes are offered "as a guide for the student and the amateur 

 collector ; for the intelligent reader, who may require a general 

 knowledge of the subject, without intending to pursue geology 

 as a science ; and for the tourist, who may wish, in the course 

 of his travels, to employ profitably a leisure hour in quest of 

 those interesting memorials of the ancient physical revolutions 

 of the globe, which he will find every where presented to his 



observation.' 



"In the arrangement, a threefold object was had in view, 

 namely, in the first place to present such an epitome of paleon- 



Vol. xlviii, No. 1.— Oct.-Dec. 1844. 14 



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