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  GEOLOGY. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  by 
  noting 
  the 
  existence 
  of 
  these 
  in 
  new 
  and 
  dis- 
  

   tant 
  locahties, 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  discovery 
  of 
  new 
  and 
  unde- 
  

   scribed 
  species, 
  that 
  our 
  knowledge 
  is 
  extended, 
  and 
  hence 
  

   it 
  is 
  that 
  our 
  eminent 
  geologists 
  impress 
  upon 
  those 
  en- 
  

   gaged 
  in 
  such 
  investigations 
  the 
  importance 
  of 
  collecting 
  

   all 
  these 
  relics, 
  none 
  of 
  which, 
  however 
  mutilated 
  or 
  

   imperfect, 
  are 
  regarded 
  as 
  too 
  trivial 
  to 
  be 
  preserved. 
  

  

  These 
  remarks 
  may 
  tend, 
  perhaps, 
  to 
  modify, 
  in 
  some 
  

   degree, 
  the 
  lightly 
  formed 
  opinions 
  of 
  those 
  who 
  have 
  

   been 
  accustomed 
  to 
  regard 
  the 
  collection 
  of 
  fossil 
  re- 
  

   mains, 
  especially 
  of 
  minute 
  shells, 
  as 
  a 
  puerile 
  pursuit 
  

   or 
  a 
  frivolous 
  recreation 
  of 
  the 
  idle 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  

   their 
  nature 
  and 
  history 
  as 
  tending 
  to 
  no 
  useful 
  result. 
  

  

  The 
  discovery 
  of 
  the 
  skeletons 
  of 
  gigantic 
  mammalia, 
  

   such 
  as 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  Mastodon 
  or 
  of 
  kindred 
  species, 
  may 
  

   excite 
  a 
  temporary 
  interest 
  among 
  the 
  curious 
  ; 
  but 
  the 
  

   less 
  striking 
  discoveries, 
  -due 
  to 
  the 
  labors 
  of 
  the 
  natu- 
  

   ralist, 
  are 
  too 
  generally 
  disregarded 
  and 
  unappreciated. 
  

  

  Few 
  States 
  in 
  the 
  Union 
  are 
  so 
  rich 
  in 
  organic 
  re- 
  

   mains 
  as 
  Mississippi, 
  and 
  a 
  description 
  of 
  some 
  of 
  these, 
  

   and 
  the 
  localities 
  in 
  which 
  they 
  occur, 
  will 
  here 
  be 
  given. 
  

  

  So 
  far 
  as 
  our 
  secondary 
  formations 
  have 
  been 
  explored, 
  

   they 
  afford 
  no 
  fossils 
  of 
  an 
  earlier 
  origin 
  than 
  those 
  of 
  

   the 
  cretaceous 
  period. 
  I 
  except, 
  of 
  course, 
  the 
  trans- 
  

   ported 
  exuvia 
  of 
  the 
  drift, 
  and 
  which 
  will 
  be 
  noticed 
  in 
  

   that 
  group. 
  

  

  The 
  organic 
  remains 
  of 
  the 
  cretaceous 
  system, 
  it 
  

   should 
  be 
  remarked, 
  are 
  almost 
  wholly 
  marine 
  ; 
  no 
  land 
  

   or 
  fresh-water 
  shells 
  or 
  bones 
  of 
  mammalia 
  having 
  yet 
  

   been 
  formed 
  among 
  them. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  Plymouth 
  Bluffs, 
  on 
  the 
  western 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  

   Tombigbee 
  River, 
  about 
  five 
  miles 
  above 
  Columbus 
  by 
  

   land, 
  Casts 
  of 
  the 
  Ammonites 
  of 
  large 
  size, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  

   those 
  of 
  the 
  Inoceramus, 
  or 
  Catillus 
  Cuveri 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  

  

  