THE PLAN OF THE EARTH AND ITS CAUSES. 369 



But there is another and still more serious objection which applies 

 to all three theories. They not only explain too little, but they explain too 

 much. The primitive lines of these systems often coincide with features 

 of modern development, and are inconsistent with the old-established 

 geographical arrangements. For instance, Professor Darwin quotes 

 the trend of the western coast of Europe from Spain to Norway as in 

 accordance with his scheme. Prinz makes the primitive line here run 

 exactly at right angles to Darwin's line ; and geological evidence favors 

 Prinz. The coast line from Spain to Norway is almost certainly of 

 modern date, while the lines of wrinkling, both Hercynian and Alpine, 

 run transversely to the direction which they ought to have followed if 

 due to tidal strain. Moreover, Professor Darwin quotes the western 

 coast of North America as inconsistent with his theory; but that coast 

 is parallel to a line of primitive wrinkling, for there is an Archean pro- 

 taxis to the coast ranges and Eocky Mountains. 



Prinz's torsion wrinkles are no better. The most striking case of 

 apparent agreement between his theory and geography is the trend of 

 the Andes and Rocky Mountains. Professor Lapworth also lays stress 

 on " the great Eocky Mountain- Andes fold * * * the longest and 

 most continuous crust-fold of the present day." 1 The agreement was 

 important so long as the Rocky Mountains and the Andes were regarded 

 as a single mountain system, connected into a continuous line by a 

 mountain axis running north and south across Central America. But 

 that axial mountain chain in Central America is a myth. Central 

 America is traversed by a series of ridges which run east and west, 

 and not north and south. 2 The watershed, it is true, runs along the 

 Pacific border, but that is due to a movement later than the mountain 

 ridges which are thus truncated. The continuation of the Andes is in 

 the mountains of Venezuela, not in North America or the Sierra Nevada. 

 The Andes and the mountain system of the Western States of America 

 are essentially distinct ; they differ in every important respect, geolo- 

 gical structure, geographical characters, and dates of formation. Any 

 theory which assigns the Andes and the great mountain series on 

 the western coast of North America to a common origin is thereby 

 prejudiced, instead of being supported. 



These three theories assigu the earth plan to a venerable antiquity; 

 but there is a fourth theory, which carries it back to an antiquity even 

 more venerable. Lord Kelvin attributes the oceanic and continental 

 areas to a chemical segregation in the gaseous nebula which was the 

 parent of the earth. According to this theory "Europe, Asia, Africa, 



1 The term "Rocky Mountains" is here apparently used for the Sierra Nevada and 

 Coast Range series of British Columhia. The true Rocky Mountains are at a great 

 distance (ranging up to 1,000 miles) from the Pacific coast, the trend of which they 

 do not determine. 



3 E. g. the Sierra Candela, Cordillera de Dota, Sierra Chiriqui, Sierra Veragua, 

 Cordillera de San Bias, etc. • 



SM 98 24 



