LATEST PBOGEESS OF THE SCIENCE. 41 



Similar societies were formed in the capitals and provinces 

 of the British empire, and of Prance, Germany, and Belgium. 

 Some years ago, the savans of Germany conceived the idea 

 of holding annual meetings, for the purpose of scientific 

 investigation, and under the unassuming title of Natur- 

 forscher, of meeting and communicating the result of their 

 researches during the past year. The British Association 

 was instituted for a similar purpose ; among its objects geo- 

 logical investigation has formed a principal feature ; a con- 

 siderable portion of its funds has been devoted to the 

 assistance, not only of British, but of foreign inquirers, and 

 the general interests of science have been advanced by its aid. 



We have purposely omitted to dwell on the labours of 

 French philosophers in the same field, because the discoveries 

 and writings of Cuvier, Brongniart, Elie de Beaumont, 

 Dufresnoy, D'Orbigny, Archiac, and their associates, will 

 form the subject of frequent and honourable mention in the 

 course of the following pages. 



To bring the history of the science down to the present 

 moment, it may be necessary to advert both to the acta and 

 agenda of its inquiries, and to mention both those problems 

 which are supposed to be solved, and those which yet 

 remain for determination. Among the former may be re- 

 garded the raising of the group of rocks, named old red sand- 

 stone, into the rank of a separate series. For a considerable 

 period doubts had been entertained as to whether the red 

 sandstone of Devonshire was identical with that of Hereford- 

 shire ; the discrepancy between the two consisting chiefly in 

 the fact, that the shells discovered in Devonshire are not 

 found in Herefordshire, nor the fish of Hereford in the 

 county of Devon. Sir B. Murchison, in his recent journey 

 to Russia, discovered both fish and shells in the same de- 

 posits ; and the old red sandstone of Devon, Hereford, and 

 Scotland, is now constituted a distinct group, under the title 

 of Devonian. 



The discovery of new forms of reptiles, has widely extended 

 the frontier line of those types of animal life, and proved the 

 age of reptiles to be a period which extended from the trias 

 to the chalk ; in other terms, through the vast cycles of 

 ages, during which the whole of the secondary rocks were 

 deposited. 



