CHAP. xvi. THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 245 



applied himself to a new subject, the geological forma- 

 tion of the coast. It had been stated by well-known 

 geologists that no relics of ancient life existed in the 

 Cornish rocks. "We have no exuviae," said Pryce, 

 " of land or sea animals buried in our strata." " The 

 rocks of Cornwall and of Scotland are non-fossiliferous," 

 said Dean Conybeare. The same statement was repeated 

 by many writers, and amongst others by Sir Eoderick 

 Murchison, who took the statement on trust. In fact, 

 geology was then in its infancy. During the last fifty 

 years, nearly everything has been changed. 



The private in the mounted Coastguard service did a 

 great deal to alter the then state of geology. He was 

 not satisfied with the statements of others. He examined 

 for himself. He had the quick eye and the keen judg- 

 ment. He possessed the gift of careful observation. 

 Nor was he ever daunted by difficulties. In fair weather 

 and in foul, he worked among the Cornish rocks, and 

 found fossils where no fossils were said to have been 

 fossils innumerable ! 



Mr. Peach was not the man to let his light lie hid 

 under a bushel. A meeting of the British Association 

 was about to be held at Plymouth. Plymouth was not 

 far from the place where he lived, and he determined to 

 put his facts together, and read them before the associa- 

 tion. He never wrote a paper before, nor had he ever 

 read one. He had only heard one scientific lecture. But 

 with his ready mother wit he prepared his paper, and 

 it proved to be a thoroughly original one. He read it 

 himself at the Plymouth meeting in 1841. It was 



entitled, On the Organic Fossils of Cornwall 

 12 



