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HUTTONIAN THEORY. 



179 



materials by the fea, have the advantage of in- 

 volving nothing hypothetical, and of being equal- 

 y addrefled to the geologills of -every perfuaiiono 



On this fubjed; I cannot help obferving, that 

 the accurate comparifon of the animal exuviae 

 of the mineral kingdom, with their living arche- 

 types, is not merely a curious inquiry, but is 

 one that may lead to important confequences, 

 concerning the nature and diredion of the for- 

 ces which have changed, and are continually 

 changing, the furface of the earth. 



1 6c. Thefe remarks I have thought it proper 

 to add to the proofs of the compolition of the 

 prefent from former ftrata, in order to fliew, that 

 the great tranfportatio.n of materials involved in 

 that fuppoiition, is not only conformable to the 

 hypothelis of the Neptunifts concerning the fe- 

 condary ftrata, but is alfo proved by the mod 

 dired evidence, independently of all hypothelis. 

 All this reafoning regards the ancient ftate of 



M2 



the 



/ 



crocodile ; he looks on them 



iknown 



fpecies. In this Mount, fo 

 famous for its petrifadions, he finds many fpecimens of 

 bones, which he thinks belong to the turtle. Phil. Tranf. 

 vol. Ixxvi. p. 443. The opinion of an author, fo well 

 Ikilled in comparative anatomy, muft be regarded as of 



om our argument 



it adds to it in another, and the acquilitlon of the turtle 



snakes up abundantly for the lofs of the crocodile. 



