i 





f 



143 



NOTES AND ADDITIONS. 



Note i. § 2. 



Origin of calcareous rocks. 



t 



J34. fT has been aflerted, that Dr Hutton 



went further than is ftated at § 2., and 

 maintained all calcareous matter to be originally 

 of animal formation. This pofition, however, is 

 fo far from being laid down by Dr Hutton, that it 

 belongs to an inquiry which he carefully avoid- 

 ed to enter on, as being altogether beyond the 

 limits of philofophical inveftigatioh. 



He has indeed no where treated of the frji 

 origin of any of the earths, or of any fubftance 

 whcitfoever, but only of the transformations 

 which bodies have undergone fince the prefent 

 laws of nature were eftablillied. He conlidered 

 this lafl as ail that a fcience, built on experi- 

 ment and obfervation, can poffibly extend to j 

 and willingly left, to more prefumptuous in- 

 quirers, the tafk of carrying their reafonings 

 beyond the boundaries of nature, and of unfold- 

 ing the properties of the chaotic fluid, with as 

 much minutenefs of detail, as if they were de- 

 fer] bing 



