CHAPTER VII 



THE NATURE AND USE OF FOSSILS 



IN probably the great majority of cases, it is the interest 

 attaching to the remains of once living plants and ani- 

 mals imbedded in the rocks which induces people to 

 read geological books and to devote their time to the 

 endeavour to gain some practical acquaintance with 

 geology. But as a rule the practical work begins and 

 ends with the gathering of the specimens. In the 

 present chapter I wish to show that apart from their 

 interest or beauty as specimens which can be arranged 

 in a collection, the relics of former organisms are of the 

 utmost value in geological inquiry, that in fact, so far 

 as relates to the chronological succession of geological 

 history, their importance is paramount. 



A " fossil " is literally anything dug up. The word, 

 formerly applied indiscriminately to any mineral sub- 

 stance taken out of the earth, whether possessing organ- 

 ised structure or not, is now restricted to the remains or 

 traces of plants and animals which have been imbedded 

 by natural causes in any geological formation, whether 

 ancient rock or modern superficial deposit. Thus under 

 the designation "fossil" we must include the entire 



