SEQUEL TO SYSTEMATIC GEOLOGY. 569 



from the high philosophic fame of their author, and 

 from their intrinsic importance, arrested at onc'e 

 the attention of scientific Europe ; and, notwith- 

 standing the undoubted priority of Smith's labours, 

 for a long time were looked upon as the starting- 

 point of our knowledge of organic fossils. And, 

 in reality, although Cuvier's memoirs derived the 

 greatest part of their value from his zoological con- 

 clusions, they reflected back no small portion of 

 interest on the classifications of strata, which were 

 involved in his inferences. And the views which 

 he presented gave to geology an attractive and 

 striking character, and a connexion with large phy- 

 siological as well as physical principles, which added 

 incomparably to its dignity and charm. 



In tracing the reception and diffusion of doc- 

 trines such as those of Smith and Cuvier, we ought 

 not to omit to notice more especially the formation 

 and history of the Geological Society of London, 

 just mentioned. It was established in 1807, with 

 a view to multiply and record observations, and pa- 

 tiently to await the result at some future period; 

 that is, its founders resolved to apply themselves to 

 Descriptive Geology, thinking the time not come 

 for that theoretical geology which had then long 

 fired the controversial ardour of Neptunists and 

 Plutonists. The first volume of the Transactions 

 of this society was published in 1811. The greater 

 part of the contents of this volume savour of the 



2 Conybeare, Report, Brit. Assoc. p. 372. 



