164 The Science of Life. 



no fossils. He also reached many purely geological 

 conclusions, and has been called, "the father and 

 founder of the science ". Similarly, Martin Lister, con- 

 temporary with Ray, and said to be the author of the 

 first geological map, drew figures of modern shells and 

 fossil shells side by side, noting in regard to the latter, 

 "either these were terrigenous, or, if otherwise, the 

 animals which they so exactly represent have become 

 extinct ". 



Throughout the eighteenth century the dominant 

 theory of fossils was that they were deposited by the 

 The Diluvial Noachian flood, and a fierce campaign be- 

 Theory. tween orthodox and heretical science per- 



sisted for two generations. In 1726 Scheuchzer 

 published his Homo Diluvii Testis, supposed to be a 

 crowning proof of the diluvial theory. It contained a 

 description of what was believed to be the skeleton of 

 a child drowned by the Deluge, and it was not till long 

 afterwards that Cuvier identified the interesting fossil as 

 the remains of a gigantic salamander. 



We may close the pre-Cuvierian period with the 

 illustrious name of Werner (1750-1817), who, according 

 to his pupil Jamieson, was the first definitely to suggest 

 that the different geological formations could be dis- 

 criminated by their fossils, and that the newer the 

 formation the more nearly do the fossils approximate 

 to living forms. From this we see that the founding of 

 palaeontology was not far off. 



The foundation of palaeontology is usually placed, 

 and with much justice, altogether to the credit of 

 The Founda- ^ uv i er > but it is historically truer to asso- 

 tionofPaiae- ciate it also with Lamarck and William 

 Smith. These three men, very different 

 from one another, the skilful anatomist, the evolu- 

 tionary thinker, the English surveyor, were comple- 

 mentary. 



In his study of the Tertiary mammals of France 



(1796) Cuvier turned his anatomical erudition and skill 



. to good account, making absolutely clear for 



the first time that fossils were in most cases 



remains of extinct organisms, different from and yet 



