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168 



GEOLOGY. 



[Sect VI. 



The collecting 



science wait for solution on large collections of species 

 carefully made in distant regions. 



A collection of recent shells (both those living on 

 the coast and those to be procured by the dredge oft 

 it) from the same country or island at which a coUec- 

 tion of tertiary fossil shells is made, is generally of 

 very great service to the palaeontologist, who under- 

 takes the description of the fossils, 

 recent shells will, moreover, with the aid of a little 

 study, teach the geologist some conchology, and this is 

 an acquirement yearly becoming more necessary : the 



eologlst should exert himself to learn some general 

 zoology. 



The bones of vertebrated animals are much more 



rarely found than the remains of the lower marine anl- 



mals, and they are almost in proportion more vjiluable. 



A person not acquainted with the science will hardly be 



able to imagine the deep interest which the discovery 



of a skeleton, if of higher organization than a fish, in 



any of the oldest formations would most justly create. 



The age of such a formation would have to be judged 



of by the co-embedded shells, and therefore, if possible, 



part of the slab containing the bones should include 



one or two shells to demonstrate their contempo^a 



neity. Bones, however, from any formation are sure 

 to be valuable ; even a single tooth, in the hands of a 

 Cuvicr or Owen, will unfold a whole history; the h'vds, 

 jaws, and articular surfaces are the most valuable : but 



every fragment should be brought home. 



Where bones 



are found close together, and especially if some cf the 

 parts lie in their natural positions, they should be packed 



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