. III. DIST. CHAR. Soil. 155 



Soil. (Solum.) 



The soil of a reliquium is the surrounding body 

 of mineral strata, &c. iii any local extent through 

 which such strata, &c. are found to be connected 

 by certain geological relations f. 



Strata or masses of stone,, following each other in 

 an uninterrupted order or series, are, according 

 to geologists, of one formation f f these collec- 

 tively constitute a soil When such order or series 

 of strata is discontinued, either by the breaking off, 

 or sudden termination, of its beds, by a change in 

 the arrangement of those that follow, or by an en- 

 tire dissimilarity in their composition or products fff, 

 another soil, or formation of strata, is said to com- 

 mence. 



The soi/5 of extraneous fossils differ in 1. their 



f By geological relations, we mean to express that connection 

 between one stratum or mass of stone and another, which arises 

 from the period and the mode of their formation, and which the 

 science of geology points out and explains. 



ft That is, they have been formed by the same agent, and 

 under a succession of similar circumstances, (v. p. 27-38.) 



fft Particularly in such as are extraneous Thus, when one 

 cries of strata contains animal relics only, and is followed or co- 

 Tered by another series, in which vegetal remains alone are found, 



