114: NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



did Christian nations give any attention to geologic phenomena, 

 and one of the first men to appreciate and assert the true origin 

 of fossils was Leonardo da yinci, the famous painter. In his 

 time, public sentiment, influenced by monastic teachings, was 

 so biased that persons who held the opinion that fossils were 

 the remains of living forms, were subjected to persecution. The 

 orthodox view then was, that fossils were freaks of nature pro- 

 duced by the influence of the stars and other mysterious agencies. 

 As various religious interests were supposed to be jeopardized 

 by the more scientific deductions, much animosity was aroused 

 by them. 



After 100 years wasted in fruitless discussions on the source 

 of fossil forms, in the beginning of the 18th century the theory 

 occurred to some that tiie shells which were found in the rocks 

 were relics of the Noachian Deluge and consequently the idea 

 of their organic origin was adopted by many as a confirmation 

 of Biblical history. This new hypothesis lasted for nearly 150 

 years and those who dared to assert their disbelief in it were ex- 

 posed to persecution as unbelievers in the Holy Scripture. 



During the last half century an invincible array of facts has 

 been developed by diligent scientific workers of many nations 

 in geology, biology, physics, chemistry and astronomy. These 

 facts have been classified into the.science of to-day. 



ORIGIN OF THE EARTH AND ITS CRUST 



The history of the origin of the earth is not found in the study 

 of the earth itself. ; 



Geologic history, properly speaking, begins with the period 

 of the earliest geologic record. But no portion of the first 

 solid crust of our globe is known to be exposed to view nor does 

 it seem likely that any portion of it will ever be revealed. From 

 the kindred sciences of physics, chemistry and astronomy, in 

 many ways, we obtain light upon the origin of the earth prior 

 to the commencement of the geologic record. 



