92 ORGANIC REMAINS. 



body, the food and habits, and haunts, and mode of Hfe of 

 creatures that ceased to exist before the creation of the 

 human race, can with a high degree of probability be as- 

 certained. 



Concurrent with this rapid extension of our knowledge of 

 the comparative anatomy of extinct families of the ancient 

 inhabitants of the earth, has been the attention paid to fossil 

 Conchology ; a subject of vast importance in investigating 

 the records of the changes that have occurred upon the sur- 

 face of our globe. 



Still more recently, the study of botanists has been direct- 

 ed to the History of fossil vegetables ; and although from 

 the late hour at which this subject has been taken up, our 

 knowledge of fossil plants is much in arrear of the progress 

 made in Anatomy and Conchology, we have already a mass 

 of most important evidence, showing the occurrence of a 

 series of changes in vegetable hfe, coextensive and contem- 

 poraneous with those that have pervaded both the higher 

 and lower orders of the animal kingdom. 



The study of Organic Remains, indeed, forms the pecu- 

 liar feature and basis of modern Geology, and is the main 

 cause of the progress this science has made, since the 

 commencement of the present century. We find certain 

 families of Organic Remains pervading strata of every age, 

 under ^nearly the same generic forms which they present 

 among existing organizations.* Other families, both of 

 animals and vegetables, are limited to particular formations, 

 there being certain points where entire groups ceased to 

 exist, and were replaced by others of a different character. 

 The changes of genera and species are still more frequent;, 

 hence, it has been well observed, that to attempt an inves- 

 tigation of the structure and revolutions of the earth, with- 

 out applying minute attention to the evidences afforded by. 



* E. g. The Nautilus, Echinus, Tcrcbratuia, and various forms of Corals;-, 

 and among; Plants, the Ferns, Lycopodiacc?e, and Palms, 



