184 Notes and Comments. 
NO CHANGE SINCE CREATION. 
‘His observations on this curious subject may not be dis- 
agreeable to the reader :—‘ Let any one,’ says Mr. Charlton, 
‘survey our cliffs, and he will soon perceive that there is the 
most exact symmetry and order to be traced through the several 
strata, and that they adhere together in a more regular, even, 
and orderly manner, than they could ever have been placed by 
the hand of man; in short, that the whole fabric has in it the 
marks and characters of an Almighty Architect, where nothing 
has undergone any considerable change since its first creation, 
though the heaviest strata are not always found at the greatest 
depth ; for above the alum-mine we meet with a solid body of 
iron-stone, much heavier than alum-rock ; and above that is 
a stratum of doggers, still heavier than the ironstone, above 
which is a thick bed of marl or earth, and that is covered with 
a heavy bed or quarry of freestone, over which is found several 
different strata or marl or earth, till we come at the surface.’ 
‘ A CHIMERA.’ 
‘The floor of a room cannot be more evenly and exactly 
laid by the hand of the most skilful joiner or carpenter, than 
these several strata are placed one above another, while all of 
them are connected together with the utmost regularity and 
order. What signs or marks then do they bear in them of 
a deluge ? Or how can we suppose them ever to have been 
so much convulsed as to admit animals and large pieces of 
timber under them ? The whole of this is certainly a chimera, 
and must be treated as such by every intelligent person who 
carefully views them. Perfect resemblances of those very 
cockle-shells, before mentioned, are tio be found within the hard- 
est flints under our cliff, in several of which some hundreds of 
them are to be seen; but though very curiously formed, 
they still preserve the colour of the stone to which they belong, 
and cannot be supposed by any one ever to have been bodies 
of living animals, distinct and separate from that stone.’ 
These observations of Mr. Charlton are certainly worthy of 
notice, although his arguments can scarcely be considered as 
decisive in regard to this curious question, which has exercised 
so many learned pens, and given rise to so many ingenious 
speculations.’ 
—:0o.—— 
The following seems to be ‘the limit’ as regards advertising a Nature 
Study book :—‘' The Way to Health is to know the Laws of Nature, 
and obey them. The way to know the laws of nature is to read 
The way to get is to send Five Shillings to the Office, : 
and it will be delivered at your door every month for a year. ENTER- 
TAINING READING! BEAUTIFUL Pictures! !_ NO NONSENSE!!!’ The 
last words, with the necessary three notes of exclamation, are not 
italicised by us, but so appear in the advertisement ! 
Naturalist, 
