IMAGINARY CATASTROPHES 297 



with not once only, but several times, in the stratified 

 rocks of the earth's crust, and for every discordance there 

 must have occurred a corresponding catastrophe. 



These catastrophes were as wonderful as Burnett's, and 

 there were more of them, so that at this stage of its 



FIG. 92. Formation of the Mendip Hills. 



1. Old red sandstone at the base, succeeded by shales and 



carboniferous limestone horizontally deposited. 



2. The same after folding had taken place. 



3. The same after denudation had worn away the summits 



of the folds and so given rise to the existing relief. 



existence geology was appropriately designed "catas- 

 trophic." It had completely severed the apron-strings, 

 and ceased to be theologic, but it still, to its credit, re- 

 mained cosmologic. It traced the earth from chaos up to a 

 stage when islands and continents rose out of a primeval 



