26 INTRODUCTORY. 



in chips and fragments even more fragmentary than when 

 originally imbedded. Notwithstanding these obstructions, 

 and the hopelessness of ever obtaining in a fossil state the 

 colours and softer parts that give beauty and outline to 

 animal forms in spite of the fact that the corresponding 

 portions of structures found to-day may not be turned up 

 even for years to come and in face of the toil and expense 

 which the study unavoidably entails substantial progress has 

 been made in Palaeontology, and these fragmentary remains 

 of Past Life been reconstructed so as to take intelligible 

 rank and position in the great categories of existing Vitality. 

 Founding on the uniformity of natural law and persistency 

 in the main structural characteristics of plants and animals 

 throughout all time, the Palaeontologist, strong in his faith 

 and hopeful of the result, proceeds to his arduous task, 

 and resuscitates as it were the Life of former epochs 

 clothing the land with verdure and beauty, and peopling 

 the waters with their varied and appropriate forms. Lifting 

 the veil from the Past, he displays the terraqueous aspects 

 of the globe at the successive stages of its history ; even as 

 now, through the combined labours of the geographer, the 

 botanist, and the zoologist, we are enabled to present a 

 panorama of existing lands and seas with all their exube- 

 rant and varied vitality. 



