THE 
GEOLOGICAL MAGAZINE. 
No. I.—JULY 1864. 
THE PAST AND PRESENT ASPECTS OF GEOLOGY. 
By the Eprror. 
HE publication of the First Number of a new Journal of Geo- 
logy seems a fit opportunity for noticing the present aspects of 
the Science, as compared with those it presented during the few 
principal epochs into which the short term of its existence may be 
divided ; and also for contrasting the ideas that during each of those 
epochs guided the course of geological investigation, forming for the 
time, so to speak, the rudder of geological thought. 
A retrospect of this sort, forming a kind of map of the country in - 
which we are about to travel, will naturally lead us to consider that 
undercurrent of ideas which forms the philosophy of the Geology of 
the present day; and thus to sketch out, though perhaps somewhat 
indefinitely, the functions which this Journal may be expected to 
perform, and the present benefit to the Science which may result 
from its publication. 
First attempts at the formation of a science have generally, per- 
haps always, consisted of sweeping hypotheses, meant to account for 
well-known, but not understood phenomena; and in Geology, even 
excluding the Cosmogonies, we all know that ‘Theories of the 
Earth’ were for a long time all that could be shown in proof that 
the mind of man had endeavoured to penetrate the mystery of the 
origin and formation of the planet on which he lived. Every one is 
familiar, also, with the proximate cause of these ‘ theories; namely, 
the necessity of accounting for the occurrence of sea-shells at various 
levels above the sea; and undoubtedly the first step towards the 
formation of the Science of Geology was to establish the organic 
nature of such things. This having been admitted, the next great 
advance was made by Playfair and Von Buch, proving that the sur- 
face of the earth was subject to alterations of level. These two facts 
having been established, the evolution from them of the Idea of 
Geological Change became easy; although the popular and general 
belief that all the known phenomena had been produced by a uni- 
versal deluge, long proved an obstacle to further progress. The last 
difficulty having at length been removed, chiefly through many 
fossils having been shown to belong to extinct species, the Idea of 
VOL. I.—NO: I. B 
