Observations Concerning Fossil Organic Remains, 101 



animals. Thus we find, although in formations of different 

 epochs, organic remains, that bear the common character of 

 the period. That which is true of the period, in which we 

 exist, may not be true of the preceding periods; and totally 

 different formations, belonging to periods widely separated, 

 together with differences among fossil remains, which relate 

 both to their genera and species, prove abundantly, that the 

 opinion of M. Brongniart, is not correct. All that we can 

 safely infer with regard to the past, is, that events have trans- 

 pired as we observe them taking place now. That is to say, 

 that species of animals have continued to exist, notvv'ithstancl- 

 ing those great changes which the earth has undergone ; and 

 that therelore, we find similar organic remains, in strata be- 

 longing to different formations, and to different epochs. But 

 we shall continually fall into error, if we admit, from the 

 similarity of these remains, that the rocks which contain 

 them, are contemporaneous and belong to the same forma- 

 tion : such a consequence embraces much more than the 

 ground of the similarity in fossil remains will justify. 



I cannot therefore, with M. Brongniart consider those char- 

 acters connected with the epochs of formations which are 

 derived from the agreement of organic remains as of the 

 first value in geology, and much less, that they ought to have 

 the preference among all other characters how important 

 soever they may be. 



Well marked differences, both in different formations and 

 in separate periods and epochs, are, and will continue to be 

 of so high a value in geology that they can never give way 

 to those derived from the similarity of organic remains with- 

 out introducing perplexity into the science, and neglecting its 

 true principles. But to pursue the remarks of M. Brongniart, 



" Thus then" (he continues) " when the characters taken 

 from the nature of the strata, &c. are found to be in opposi- 

 tion to those which we obtain from their imbedded remains, 

 I shall still allow to these the preponderance." It is not at 

 all necessary that the former characters should be in oppo- 

 sition to those derived from zoology : the formations may be 

 of a different nature, and separated by different epochs 

 whilst the organic remains may possess a similar character. 

 The pachydermata, the pala^otheria, the anoplotheria, &c. 

 appear to have been destroyed at a period entirely distinct 

 from that, in which our mammoths, rhinoceroses, hippopo- 

 tamuses, &c. were entombed. The rocks which contain 



