INTRODUCTORY NOTE 



SIR ARCHIBALD GEIKIE was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 

 1835, and educated at the university in that city. He became 

 a member of the Geological Survey of Scotland, of which, in 

 1867, he was made director; and from 1871 to 1882 was Mur- 

 chison professor of geology and mineralogy in his own univer- 

 sity. At the latter date he resigned to take up the general 

 directorship of the Geological Survey of the United Kingdom, 

 which he held till 1901. He has been an extremely productive 

 investigator, and his achievements have brought him many dis- 

 tinctions from learned societies at home and abroad, including 

 the honor of knighthood, the presidency of the British Associ- 

 ation, and the secretaryship of the Royal Society, an office 

 which he still holds. 



Among his more important writings may be mentioned "The 

 Scenery of Scotland, Viewed in Connection With its Physical 

 Geography" (1865), "Text-book of Geology" (1882), "Ancient 

 Volcanoes c/ Britain" (1897), "Types of Scenery and Their 

 Influence on Literature" (1898), and "Landscape in History" 



(1905). 



The following paper on "Geographical Evolution," published 

 among his "Geological Sketches at Home and Abroad" (1882), 

 might be entitled with less ambiguity "Geological Evolution" 

 since it is in this sense rather than in the broader modern 

 signification that the word "geographical" is employed through- 

 out the essay. 



The interest in literature indicated by the names of several 

 of Geikie's books has not been without influence on his writings, 

 for there are few scientific authors to-day who can command 

 yo fascinating a style. His power of exposition is shown by 

 the skill with which, in the present paper, he maps out in com- 

 paratively few pages, the views of his school as to the geo- 

 logical history of the earth. 



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