NOTES. 



NOTE A. 4. p. 30. 

 On the Subsidence of Strata. 



CUVIER adopts the opinion of De Luc, that all the 

 older strata of which the crust of the earth is composed, 

 were originally in an horizontal situation, and have 

 been raised into their present highly-inclined position, 

 by subsidences that have taken place over the whole 

 surface of the earth. 



It cannot be doubted, that subsidences, to a consider- 

 able extent, have taken place ; yet we are not of opi- 

 nion, that these have been so general as maintained by 

 these geologists. We are rather inclined to believe, 

 that the present inclined position of strata is in general 

 their original one ; an opinion which is countenanced 

 by the known mode of connexion of strata, the pheno- 

 mena of veins, particularly cotemporaneous veins, the 

 crystalline nature of every species of older rock, and 

 the great regularity in the direction of strata throughout 

 the globe. 



The transition and flcetz-rocks also are much more of 

 a chemical or crystalline nature than has been generally 



