X 



CONTENTS OF THE FIKST VOLUME. 



CHAPTER IV. 



HISTORY OF THE PROGRESS OF GEOLOGY Continued. 



Werner's Application of Geology to the Art of Mining— Excursive Character of his 

 Lectures— Enthusiasm of his Pupils—His Authority— His Theoretical Errors 

 Desmarest's Map and Description of Auvergne— Controversy between the 

 Vulcanists and Neptunists— Intemperance of the Eival Sects — HutWs Theory 

 of the Earth— His Discovery of Granite Veins—Originality of his Views 

 Why opposed — Playfair's Illustrations — Influence of Voltaire's Writings on 

 Geology— Imputations cast on the Huttonians by Williams, Kirwan, and De 

 Luc— Smith's Map of England— Geological Society of London— Progress of the 

 Sciences in Prance — Growing Importance of the Study of Organic Eemains 



page 68 



CHAPTER V. 



PREJUDICES WHICH HAVE RETARDED THE PROGRESS OF GEOLOGY. 



Prepossessions in regard to the Duration of Past Time— Prejudices arising from our 

 peculiar Position as Inhabitants of the Land— Others occasioned by our not 

 seeing Subterranean Changes now in progress— All these Causes combine to 

 make the former Course of Nature appear different from the present— Objec- 

 tions to the Doctrine that Causes similar in Kind and Energy to those now 

 acting, have produced the former Changes of the Earth's Surface, considered 



90 



CHAPTER VI. 



SUPPOSED INTENSITY OF AQUEOUS FORCES AT REMOTE PERIODS. 



Intensity of Aqueous Causes— Slow Accumulation of Strata proved by Fossils 

 Eate of Denudation can only keep pace with Deposition — Erratics and Action 

 f i C e — Deluges, and the Causes to which they are referred — Supposed Univer- 

 sality of Ancient Deposits 106 







CHAPTER VII. 



ON THE SUPPOSED FORMER INTENSITY OF THE IGNEOUS FORCES. 



Volcanic Action at successive Geological Periods— Plutonic .Rocks of different 

 Ages — Gradual Development of Subterranean Movements — Faults— Doctrine 

 of the Sudden Upheaval of Parallel Mountain-chains— Objections to the Proof 

 of the Suddenness of the Upheaval, and the Contemporaneousness of Parallel 

 Chains— Trains of Active Volcanos not parallel — As Large Tracts of Land are 



sinking slowly, so Narrow Zones of Land may be pushed up 



rising or 



gradually to Great Heights— Bending of Strata by Lateral Pressure 

 of the Volcanic Power to effect this without Paroxysmal Convulsions 



Adequacy 



117 



CHAPTER VIII. 



DIFFERENCE IN TEXTURE OF THE OLDER AND NEWER ROCKS. 



Consolidation of Fossiliferous Strata— some Deposits originally solid— Transition 

 and Slaty Texture— Crystalline Character of Plutonic and Metamorphic Rocks 

 —Theory of their Origin— Essentially Subterranean— No Proofs that they were 



LI I 



produced more abundantly at remote Periods 



