102 Observations Concerning Fossil Organic Remains. 



the first may belong to different formations as well as epochs, 

 notwithstanding there exist a resemblance and similar char- 

 acters among the pachydermata ; but we can never deduce 

 (according to the established principles of geology) from 

 such an analogy in the organic remains of this period, that 

 these formations are contemporaneous. 



The instance of the confusion in the strata at Calabria 

 mentioned by M. Brongniiirt, does not prove what this philoso- 

 pher wishes to deduce from it. "Horizontal strata have 

 become vertical, — entire masses of the formations have been 

 transported and deposited in contrasted stratification, upon 

 other strata." Very well ! Let us suppose we had lost all 

 historical trace of this disaster at Calabria, no geologist 

 would regard these masses, as belonging to a distant 

 ge< logical epoch (or period.) In order to shun such an 

 error he would compare the masses which had been dis- 

 placed and the strata upon which they had been deposi- 

 ted, and from these observations he would be able to ex- 

 plain why they do not belong to a period geologically dif- 

 ferent, though happening at an epoch in the course of this 

 period^ and different from other epochs of the same period. 

 But, besides, a fact of this kind, isolated, local and confined 

 to so small a portion of the earth, could not compare with 

 those great changes which have taken place at different pe- 

 riods and upon an infinitely larger scale. 



To conclude these remarks I subjoin the following obser- 

 vation, concerning the conformity of position among rocks. 

 " There may exist an identity of structure, (that is to say of 

 mineralogical composition,) and a diversity of organic re- 

 mains., or diversity of composition and identity of organic 

 remains. The rocks j3, and |3, situated at remote horizon- 

 tal distances, between two identical formations a and y ei- 

 ther belong to the same, or to parallel formations. In the 

 first case, their composition is similar ; but on account of 

 their distances from each other and the effects of climate, 

 the organic remains they contain may differ from each other. 

 In the second case, the mineralogicaljcomposition is different, 

 but the organic remains may be similar. We are to regard 

 the words ^'■identical formations,'''' '■'■partial formations,^'' as 

 indicative of conformity, or of non conformity of mineralog- 

 ical composition : but they cannot enable us to decide a 

 priori as to the identity of the fossils. It is sufficiently prob- 

 able that the deposits S and ,13 situated at great horizontal 



