392 Origin of the Grand Outline Features of the Earth. 
an 
prominent features of the earth. The coincidences confirm the 
view that the ranges of mountains and islands correspond to 
ranges of fissures, and also illustrate their subordinate peculiarities. 
The formation of many associated fissures, instead of a single 
rent, is the natural result from the general character of the mate- 
rial ruptured, and the manner in which the force must act. 
Causes of the general uniformity, and composite character of 
ranges.—The most important point with relation to the ranges, 
is their general uniformity over the globe. ‘I'hese great systems 
of parallelisms must have arisen from the ruptures taking place 
in certain directions rather than in others, and the cause lies either 
in the forces causing ruptures solely, or in them in connection 
with the nature or structure of the earth’s crust: and if the lat- 
ter, the structure must be coextensive with the world, as the 
facts have no narrower limits. The Fig. 10. 
geologists. | 
The nature of this structure, or the cause of this tendency to 
2 The 
_* Bib. Univ. de Genéve, xliii, 1833, 180. pee 
t Geol. Report on Cornwall, Devon and W. Somerset. p. 281. ne abil 
t Bull. Soc. Geol. de France, xiv, p. 439, 1843, and ii Ser., i, pp- 353, 355. 1 
