GEOLOGY. 



583 



life to be seen, for amid so many remains of the coal flora, 

 which geologists have so admirably reconstructed, they 



276. Archegosaurus, the first Antediluvian l{ciiti]e—Arch/:gosanriis Dcchcni. 



have only met with a few rare vestiges of one small reptile, 

 the Archegosaurus. This great contrast l^etween the 

 richness of the vegetable and penury of the animal king- 

 dom is exj^lained by the great quantity of carbonic acid 



74 



