PACIFIC SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



grees) to the axis of revolution., trans- 

 lation or progression of the earth's 

 orbit, usually called the plane of the 

 ecliptic, and traced on our globe as the 

 apparent path of the sun. then the con- 

 tinents, in the formation-- of their out- 

 lines, assur/ied a trend at right angles 

 to the plane of the ecliptic ; hence cor- 

 responding with the axis of revolution". 

 This fact, that continental outlines 

 thus formed an angle of 23.j degrees 

 with meridians, was pointed out, more 

 than twenty years since by the writer 

 in his r,ork "Key to the Geology of the 

 Globe :" and it has since been admit- 

 ted by various scientists, in their print- 

 ed works, such as Professors Dana and 

 Dawson. 



V. It was shown further, at a later 

 period, that the eastern trends of con- 

 tinents, beginning at the straits of 

 Macassar and of Lorabok (where Wal- 

 lace found a continental difference be- 

 tween the flora and fauna each side of 

 this region) and measuring, on the 

 equator, 72 360-5 degree*, were respec- 

 tively one fifth of the circumference of 

 the globe apart : viz 1st. The east 

 trend of Africa 72 degrees west of Ma- 

 cassar (or of the east trend of Asia, 

 including Japan) ; 2d — The east trend 

 of South America 72 degrees west of 

 Africa's east trend ; and 3d — The east 

 trend of North America 72 degrees 

 west of the east of South America! 

 4th — The east trend of South Oceanica 

 (or of South Australasia near New 

 Zealand) 72 degrees west of the east 

 trend of North America. As these 

 trends, running north 23^ degrees east, 

 represent coast lines at right angles to 

 certain phases of the ecliptic, so their 

 mates, i.e. coast lines intersecting 

 these eastern trends at the equator 

 and running north 23£ degrees west, 

 will be found at right angles to other 



phases of the ecliptic. It is true that 

 the axis of the ecliptic is considered 

 almost or quite invariable ; but its posi- 

 tion relatively to the. axis of the earth's ro- 

 tation is being constantly modified by 

 the attraction of the moon and sun 

 on the equatorial protuberance, giving 

 rise to the precession of the equinoxes. 

 It is further noticeable that each of 

 these general continental trends is 

 made up of minor trends, partly coin- 

 cid : ng with the axis of rotation, partly 

 with the axis of revolution. 



VI. Subsequent papers pointed out 

 that &ach continent had a geographi- 

 cal center ; and that a radius of 72-2-36 

 degrees would usually embrace nearly 

 the whole of a continent, while a ra- 

 dius of 23| degrees or 24 degrees 

 would embrace, within its area, most 

 of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic forma- 

 tions ; while, outside of it, up to radius 

 36 degrees, would be chiefly Cenozoie 

 area. 



VII. It was further shown that 

 Monte Rosa, in Switzerland, is, as 

 nearly as may be, the pole of the land 

 hemisphere ; and that in shrinking the 

 earth has conformed to the law of As- 

 suring from that culminating point 

 (of Miocene age) in radiating lines of 

 30 degrees apart, forming thereby such 

 depressions as the east coast of Spain 

 to Gulf of Genoa, the Adriatic to Ven- 

 ice (intermediate elevation the Ape- 

 nine*) ; further depressions radiating 

 to Bay of Biscay, German Ocean, Bal- 

 tic, &c. 



VIII. From Mallet's catalogue of 

 7,000 earthquakes, the generalization 

 was pointed out that (by comparing 

 places of simultaneous seismic action, 

 or close approximation, in time) earth 

 movements were observed to be fre- 

 quently propagated along great circles : 

 and further that while important 



