34 



which the body originally consisted. It, therefore, can be employed 

 to describe only that one particular species of fossils. 



The word FOSSIL appears to be the only word our language can 

 supply, which is capable of being employed as the term denoting 

 these substances in general. The propriety of adopting it will appear, 

 when we consider its derivation, and the characteristics of the 

 bodies it is intended to signify. In the contemplation of these bodies, 

 three circumstances offer themselves for our particular notice : first, 

 their having been dug out of the earth ; secondly, their original 

 mode of existence ; and, thirdly, the nature of the change which 

 they have undergone. The term fossil, if its meaning be as- 

 sumed, strictly from its derivation, must be acknowledged to mean, 

 any mineral substance dug out of the earth ; but, when it is recol- 

 lected, that these bodies in general, exibit, to the senses, the most 

 obvious marks of their origin, and of the changes they have under- 

 gone, it is sufficient for the common purposes of speech, that 

 the word selected for them expresses their other grand character- 

 istic their being dug out of the earth. But, although, when the 

 fossil body is itself present, and manifests to the senses, that for 

 instance, it was once wood, the applying to it the term fossil en- 

 tirely completes the idea ; yet this is not sufficient, in written lan- 

 guage, where the senses cannot thus supply, that which is defi- 

 cient in the term. Here appropriate epithets must be added, ex- 

 pressive of those parts of the idea, which are not already expressed. 

 The epithets extraneous or adventitious, proposed by Sir John Hill, 

 and generally adopted to the present time, are, in my opinion, ob- 

 jectionable ; not only because they do not comprise the two circum- 

 stances, which are required to be expressed ; but also because they 

 convey opinions respecting these substances, which a closer exami- 

 nation will show are ill founded. 



The term extraneous denotes, that the substance spoken of is 



