The Principles of Palaeontology. 



By Felix Bernard. 



(Extracted from Bernard's Elements de Paleontologle. Paris, 1895.) 



CHAPTER I 



Object of Palaeontology. 



§ 1. Relations of Palaeontology to Other Sciences. 

 Definition. — Palaeontology is the study of the animals and 

 plants which existed on the earth in epochs anterior to the 

 present; these have become known to us by their remains, which 

 are buried in the crust of the earth, and which are csilled fossils. 

 As an independent science Palaeontology dates only from the 

 beginning of this century ; it may be said to have been founded 

 by Cuvier. Before the time of that great naturalist, fossils had 

 frequently attracted the attention of philosophers, but had never 

 been the object of any profound researches. The immense field 

 in the domain of living nature was still but little explored, and 

 afforded materials easy to obtain and study. The appellation of 

 the science which we are now considering dates from the same 

 epoch, and was proposed by de Plain ville. Since that epoch. 

 Palaeontology has progressed with an uninterrupted rapidity. 

 For many years past successive discoveries in all parts of the 

 world have constantly augmented and given precision to our 

 knowledge of the subject. All nations, even those which have 

 most recently attained civilization, possess learned men who 

 count it an honor to themselves to make known to the world the 

 precious remains of the fossil fauna and flora of their own 

 countries. The Rocky mountains, the Pampas of South America, 

 Australia, British India and Siberia are now classic regions of 

 Palaeontology, and have furnished, no less than have the famous 

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