356 Infinite JDivisihility of Finite Matter. 



for the introduction of rocks or localities which do not belong 

 to the district which is described. In this way unity is not 

 preserved, and the continuity of the description is much inter- 

 rupted We do not object to this in that part of the work, 

 entitled, *' General Descriptions of North American Rocks," 

 though some have said that these can hardly belong, in a gen- 

 eral view, to the district of the canal. But in the " Description 

 of rocks in the vicinity of the Erie Canal," p. 47, the fault 

 often occurs. We mention the account of the hornblende 

 rocks near West-Point, p. 34; of granular quartz, pp. 56, 7; 

 of granular limestone, pp.57, 8; and many others, vyhich are 

 not found near the line of the canal. 



If the work should pass to a second edition, which is highly 

 probable, and even rendered somewhat necessary to make it 

 as complete as the subsequent examinations of Professor Ea- 

 ton enable him to do, and as the light thrown on the subject 

 of the newer formations by the very able work of Conybeare 

 &; Phillips on the geology of England and Wales seems to re- 

 quire, we would suggest as an improvement of the work, that 

 the notices of rocks which are not found along the line of the 

 canal, be omitted in this part of the work, or be reduced to 

 the bare remark, that they do not occur in the district, and 

 that the remarks and localities of rocks, in other parts of the 

 country, be taken from the text, and put into the form of 

 notes. In this way the continuity of the geological descrip- 

 tion of the country along the canal will be unbroken. We 

 think no one can read the work without being sensible of its 

 interest and importance, to every one who examines the 

 rocks of this district. The localities are given with much 

 precision, and the traveller is enabled at once to ascertain 

 the rocks intended by the names which Professor E. has 

 given them. It were to be wished that the common nomen- 

 clature of the rocks had been altered with a more sparine- 

 hand. C. D. 



Art. XXIV. — On thi' Infinite Divisibility of a Finite Quan- 

 tity of Matter By Sheldon Clark, Esq. of Oxford, Ct. 



Truth is always consistent with itself. Any proposition 

 which involves an impossibility cannot be true. Says one, I 



