a 
234 Review of “Outlines of the 
The following is an account of the grouping of the organic 
remains into distinct assemblages, in the various formations. 
“They are not irregularly dispersed throughout the 
whole series of these formations. but disposed as it were in 
families, each formation containing an association of sp 
peculiar in many instances to itself, widely differing from 
those of other formations, and accompaning it throughout 
its whole course ; so that at two distinct points on the 
line of the same formation, we are sure of meeting the 
same general assemblage of fossil remains. It will serve to 
exemplify the laws which have been stated, if the observer’s 
attention is directed to two of the most prominent forma- 
tions of this island ; namely, the chalk, and the limestone 
which underlies the coal in Northumberland, Derbysuire, 
Seuth Wales, and Somerset. Now, if he examines a col- 
lection of fossils from the chalk of Flamborough head or 
from that of Dover ciiffs, or, it may be added, from Po- 
land or Paris, he will find 8 or 9 species out of 10 the same; 
he will observe the same echinites associated with the same 
shells ; nearly half these echinites he will perceive belong 
to divisions of that family unknown in a recent state, and 
indeed in any other fossil bed except the chalk. If he next 
proceeds to inspect parcels of fossils from the carbonifer- 
ous limestone, from whichever of the above localities they 
ot smeries 
lae, spiriferae, &e. ; but if he lastly compares the collec- 
will not find one single instance of specific agreement, and 
Concerning those genera and species of fossils that have 
not been discovered in a living state, we have the follow- 
the latter do not at present exist because we are not ac- 
quainted with them in a recent state, and this caution is 
still more necessary with regard to those genera which the 
dark unfathom’d caves of ocean”? may possibly conceal iP 
