PREFACE. XXI 



strong examples of the truth of this reasoning. 

 Leaving out of consideration. 'the nature of the 

 basis on which those reforms have been founded, 

 and the geological confusion thence generated, it 

 must be apparent that the descriptions of the 

 authors who have thought proper to follow this 

 plan, are unintelligible without a reference to a 

 new catalogue; and that, were it even fixed in the 

 memories of readers, they are still subject to the 

 inconvenience of thinking in two languages ; 

 while the want of a general reception of this new 

 nomenclature, and the continued use of that of 

 Werner, among many geologists, has produced 

 authors of which the one half is unintelligible to 

 the other. 



/ 



The very extensive influence and reception of 

 the terms adopted by Werner, would have been a 

 sufficient reason for using them, had there been 

 no other grounds for that selection. In what 

 respect his views may have been incorrect or im- 

 perfect, it is not here necessary to enquire ; and 

 the deviations from them which have been made 



