150 Remarks on Professor Eatoii's Communication. 



very much dependent on her writers, and are bound to 

 pay to them much respect and deference. And why ? 

 Not because this country does not furnish so good a field 

 for observation ; for it is decidedly a better one : nor 

 because our countrymen have been deficient in industry 

 and skill in exploring our rocks ; for their efforts are worthy 

 of ail praise, and when we consider the disadvantages under 

 which they labour, will not suffer by a comparison with 

 those of any country. But European geologists have been 

 engaged in the study of their rocks twice as many years as 

 Americans, and in consequence of the more extensive pa- 

 tronage bestowed upon the former, and the less urgent demand 

 for talent in other department?, more scientific men have 

 been able to give themselves exclusively to the subject in 

 Europe than in this country. The consequence has been 

 that more extensive geological cabinets have been formed, 

 than among us, and greater particularity has been attained 

 in the knowltdge of rocks. Valuable as are many of our 

 geological treatises and maps, where shall we find any that 

 will compare with the transactions of the London Geologi- 

 cal Society, virith the great work of Cuvier on fossil remains, 

 with the work of Conybeare and Phillips which we are 

 considering, or with the truly magnificent map of Green- 

 ough ! We mike not these comparisons because we think 

 meanly of American geologists, nor because we wish to 

 inculcate any servile deference to Europeans. From their 

 frowns or their favour we have nothing to fear or hope. But 

 in matters of science, we wish things to be stated just as they 

 are, and we are not willing to be warped by national par- 

 tialities, or envious rivalries. We wish to justify ourselves 

 from the charge of paying an undue homage to Europeans. 

 We rejoice to believe that our country is rapidly advancing 

 in geology, as well as in other departments of science ; and 

 we with pleasure anticipate the day, as not far distant, when 

 she will take the lead in geognosy. But if we attempt to 

 elevate our geological character above that of Europeans, 

 when facts will not warrant it, we only excite the pity or 

 contempt of the world for our arrogance and vanity. 



But a particular instance of our neglect of our country- 

 men has been pointed out. We recommended the adop- 

 tion of the terms diluvial and alluvial as defined by Mr. 

 Conybeare, and did not notice a somewhat similar distinc- 



