THEORY OF THE EARTH. 95 



lected, these being more obvious to agricultu- 

 ral labourers ; while the bones of the smaller 

 species are usually neglected, unless when they 

 chance to fall into the hands of a naturalist, or 

 when some particular circumstance, such as their 

 excessive abundance in certain places, attracts the 

 attention even of the common people. 



Relations of the Species of Fossil Animals with the 

 Strata in which they are found. 



The most important consideration, that which, 

 in fact, is the chief object of all my researches, 

 and which establishes their legitimate connection 

 with the Theory of the Earth, is to ascertain in 

 what strata each species is found, and whether 

 there may be some general laws, relative either 

 to the zoological subdivisions, or to the greater 

 or less resemblance of the species to those of the 

 present day. 



The laws which have been recognised with re- 

 spect to these relations are very distinct and sa- 

 tisfactory. 



In the first place, it is clearly ascertained that 

 the oviparous quadrupeds appear much more early 

 than the viviparous; that they are even more 

 abundant, larger, and more varied, in the ancient 

 strata than at the surface of the globe, as it exists 

 at present. 



