Geology. 33 



way, appears equally strange, the more so, as for every 



epoch, adaptation was the prime point. 



\ 



This implied progressive improvement in the adapter, 

 only limited his skill and power ; indeed, so patent has 

 this appeared to some minds, that to them an adapter, or 

 moulder, was not essential, and by leaving matter to itself, 

 if only time enough were given to it, it would fall into 

 proper mould and order of itself. 



The writer, early in the year of 1864, wrote a pamphlet, 

 entitled, " Doubts Relative to the Epochal and Detrital 

 Theory of Geology," challenging the soundness of these 

 theories, but discussing the subject in as few words as it 

 was possible in such an extensive subject. Copies were 

 sent privately to several distinguished geologists and 

 others at the time. 



It is reprinted at the end of this treatise for the purpose 

 of suggesting that, vital force in its geological chart is 

 anything but driven into a corner for evidence that its mani- 

 festations are necessarily gradational and progressive, any 

 more than the organic bodies in the Laurentian rocks, or 

 fossil man near Mentone, go to establish the same from a 

 purely Palseontological point of view, or the recent re- 

 searches of Sir W. Thomson on certain physical difficul- 

 ties in relation to the same theory. 



There are four points considered : 



ist : From a practical point of view granite may be con- 

 sidered as the true base of all rocks, from the trituration 

 and waste of which all others have been formed. Trap and 



3 



