GEOLOGY. 141 



each other. The sandstone is as a rule therefore im- 

 bedded in the lime ; it is a mortar containing but little 

 lime. The mechanical silicious deposits are exemplified 

 in the Nagelfluh, old red sandstone, Grauwacke, sand- 

 stone and drift-sand. 



639. The stratified clay appears to have been deposited 

 as clay-stone ; it passes over into slate and potters' clay. 

 The talcose strata pass by serpentine and potters' stone 

 into steatite and meerschaum. 



STRATIFIED LIMESTONE. 



640. The pole which had operated continuously 

 from the fundamental earths contained in the Earthy 

 has now separated from it, and the tension is again 

 extinguished. The Earthy is now contained in a pure 

 state in water without continuance of the silicious pole ; 

 the influx of water has now obtained the preponderance. 

 So soon, however, as the antagonism of this water to the 

 stratified silex, clay and talc ceases, the more internal, 

 hitherto restrained by the feebler antagonism, becomes 

 awakened, as it did after the precipitation of the funda- 

 mental earths. 



641. The principles are necessarily combined more 

 firmly in the fundamental than in the calcareous earths. 

 In this both the oxygenic and basic earth-principle must 

 each attain for itself completion, and represent the two 

 primary bodies in the earth with the same capacity for 

 separation and activity. 



642. The production of earths results from a constant 

 antagonism subsisting between them and water. The 

 more the Basic is thrown down, by so much does the 

 Oxygenous preponderate to a greater degree in water. 

 The water becomes oxydized and seeks to divide into its 

 tAvo principles, into oxygen and hydrogen. 



643. By this contest tension is also excited in the 

 earth-principles, namely, oxygen and carbon, and they 

 begin in themselves to separate. The metallic basis of 

 the earths strives to become free. During the separation, 

 however, the oxygen snatches as it were some carbon 



