CONTENTS 



ciety of Edinburgh, 1781, p. 121 His conclusions that all strata of 

 the earth have their origin at the bottom of the sea, p. 124 His 

 deduction that heated and expanded matter caused the elevation 

 of land above the sea-level, p. 128 Indifference at first shown this 

 remarkable paper, p. 129 Neptunists versus Plutonists, p. 131 

 Scrope's classical work on volcanoes, p. 132 Final acceptance of 

 Hutton's explanation of the origin of granites, p. 141 Lyell and 

 uniformitarianism, p. 142 Observations on the gradual elevation 

 of the coast-lines of Sweden and Patagonia, p. 142 Observations 

 on the enormous amount of land erosion constantly taking place, p. 

 143 Agassiz and the glacial theory, p. 144 Perraudin the chamois- 

 hunter, and his explanation of perched bowlders, p. 145 De Char- 

 pentier's acceptance of Perraudin's explanation, p. 146 Agassiz's 

 paper on his Alpine studies, p. 147 His conclusion that the Alps 

 were once covered with an ice-sheet, p. 153 Final acceptance of 

 the glacial theory, p. 154 The geological ages, p. 155 The work 

 of Murchison and Sedgwick, p. 157 Formation of the American 

 continents, p. 161 Past, present, and future, p. 164 



CHAPTER V 



THE NEW SCIENCE OP METEOROLOGY 



Biot's investigations of meteors, p. 169 The observations of 

 Brandes and Benzenberg on the velocity of falling stars, p. 170 

 Professor Olmstead's observations on the meteoric shower of 1833, 

 p. 171 Confirmation of Chladni's hypothesis of 1794, p. 172 The 

 aurora borealis, p. 172 Franklin's suggestion that it is of elec- 

 trical origin, p. 173 Its close association with terrestrial magnet- 

 ism, p. 174 Evaporation, cloud-formation, and dew, p. 177 Dai- 

 ton's demonstration that water exists in the air as an independent 

 gas, p. 178 Hutton's theory of rain, p. 178 Luke Howard's paper 

 on clouds, p. 182 Observations on dew, by Professor Wilson and 

 Mr. Six, p. 184 Dr. Wrlls's essay on dew, p. 187 His observa- 



onnected with dew, p. 188 Isotherms 

 and ocean currents, p. 192 Humboldt and the science of compara- 



limatology, p. 193 His studies of ocean currents, p. 195 

 t gravity is the cause of ocean currents, p. 196 

 Dr. Croll on Climate and /;;<, p. 197 Cyclm-s and anti-cyclones, 

 p. 199 Dove's studies in climatology, p. 199 Professor Fcm-l's 

 mathematical law of the <!<!! -.viiuls, p. 200 Tyndall's es- 



timate of the amount of heat given off by the liberation of a pound 



por, p. 203 Meteorological observations and weather pre- 

 dictions, p. 204. 



V 



