BY MRS MILLER. xHx. 



SO that what twelve years ago was contended for in order to 

 maintain some standing ground against the errors of the 

 "Vestiges," is now coming into use as a first principle of 

 classification. 



In undertaking, in present circumstances, to bring before 

 the public a new edition of the " Foot-prints," it was difficult 

 to determine whether the chapter on the Silurians ought to 

 be omitted, according to the expressed intention of its author, 

 or no. On this head I consulted Sir Philip Egerton, to 

 whom the work was originally dedicated, and his advice 

 ran as follows : — " I am clearly of opinion that the text 

 should stand intact, and that such explanations and emenda- 

 tions as are required in consequence of recent discovery should 

 be given in notes, or in an introductory chapter. No doubt, 

 had the author lived, he could not have consented to a new 

 edition without making such corrections as were called for, 

 in consequence of the break-down of the evidence communi- 

 cated to him by others (for he was not responsible for the 

 facts), on which the arguments are based. But in posthu- 

 mous editions, I am of opinion that no alterations of moment 

 should be allowed in the original text. Besides, to omit this 

 chapter would be to suppress one of the most powerful and 

 lucid arguments in the whole book ; and to re-unite it, no 

 man living is competent It is only with reference to the 

 Lower Silurian that the argument fails ; and, after all, the 

 chapter may be prophetic. I see no reason to lead one to 

 suppose that fish remains may not be found below the Upper 

 Silurian." On this advice — valuable every way — I have 

 acted ; and for all reasons it is satisfactory, both to my- 

 self and to the public, that every transaction, as it were, bo- 



d 



