39 



Note. — The matter of this paper, as originally prepared, was made up in great 

 part of extracts and illustrations from standard authorities, exhibiting physical 

 facts so collated as to demonstrate the theory of the gradual diminution of 

 water. 



This abstract, having been made to present to "The American Association 

 for the Advancement of' Science," the most general and important ideas upon 

 the subject, with the necessary and required brevity, may be found deficient in 

 clearness, or proper arrangement, or in the illustrations necessary to a complete 

 demonstration. 



It has been difficult for an unpractised author, in so condensed a summary of 

 a very extensive range of facts, to prepare a paper that will be suitable to the 

 occasion. 



A large number of valuable authorities have been freely used in the course 

 of these investigations — and are gratefully acknowledged. The most important 

 of them will be found in the following list: 



Cosmos, Vestiges of Creation, Plurality of Worlds, Origin of the Stars 

 (Ennis), Planetary and Stella Worlds, Astronomy of the Bible (Mitchell), 

 Elements of Astronomy (Davis), Ecce Coelum, Kitto's Encyclopedia, American 

 do., Malte Brun, Whewell's History of the Inductive Sciences, Lyell's Principles 

 of Geology, Manual do., Antiquity of Man (Lyell), Descent of Man (Darwin), 

 Origin of Species, do., Great Stone Book (Anstead), Advanced Text Book, 

 Physical Geography and Hand Book (Page), Earth and Man (Guyot), Physical 

 Geography (Somerville), Manual of Geology (Dana), Sketches of Nature 

 (Winchell), Geology of the Stars, do.. Physical Geography of the Sea (Maury), 

 Roget's Animal and Vegetable Physiology (Bridgewater Treatise), Vegetable 

 World (Figuer), Structure of Animal Life (Agassiz), Chemistry of Common 

 Life and Agricultural Chemistry (Johnson), Johnson's Turner's Chemistry, 

 Natural Laws of Husbandry (Liebig), Aspects of Nature (Humboldt), Ana- 

 lytical Class Book of Botany, Wonders of Heat (Cozin), Prehistoric Nations 

 (Baldwin), Carthage and her Remains (Davis), Civil Policy in America 

 (Draper), Chips from a German Workshop (Max Muller)-. 



