. II. RELICS, into Min. Kingd. 38 



inland-seas would be changed ; and their deposits, 

 of course, contain only the remains of animals ca- 

 pable of existing in such waters ( fluviatile shell- 

 fish, &c. ) and the vegetable and mineral materials 

 poured into them by rivers and torrents. 



The deposition of vegetable matter,, &c., in in- 

 land-seas, would be carried on, for a certain length 

 of time, under the same processes as those supposed 

 to have taken place in the ocean. 



The accumulation of materials, however, arising 

 from the daily disintegration of the surrounding 

 mountain rocks, and the consequent debasement of 

 these barriers, must at length have reduced the 

 lakes and seas to the state of extensive tracts of 

 low, flat lands, scarcely covered by water. Over 

 these tract?, laid dry, perhaps, at particular seasons, 

 vegetation peculiar to swampy grounds would 

 doubtless soon commence ; and, when the flat or 

 concave basis was again covered with water ( the 

 consequence of periodical rains, &c., ) would afford 

 a supply of submersed, organic materials, ready for 

 incorporating with the next deposit of mineral mat- 

 ter, brought in by streams and torrents from the 

 circumjacent hills. This process being repeated, a 

 succession of strata would be formed, abounding 

 in plants peculiar to low and moist situations. f 



f Such are found, generally, in the upper beds of clay, iron- 

 stones, c., accompanying coal tracts; and, from the different 

 species occuring in separate accumulations (at least in most ia- 



F 



