4 Sir Charles Lyell and Modern Geology. [Jan., 



that the ' Principles ' possesses is founded on the supposition that 

 the Idea of Uniformity originated with Sir Charles Lyell, and that 

 as this supposition is incorrect, no special degree of merit should be 

 attributed to Sir Charles for that particular work. Our own opinion 

 is diametrically opposed to this, for according to our conception of 

 the case the value of the ' Principles ' lies chiefly in the proof it 

 contains of Hutton's ' Theory of the Earth ' being supported by 

 positive evidence, instead of being a mere unsupported effort of the 

 imagination. Sir Charles Lyell brought together in the ' Principles ' 

 a great mass of facts bearing on every phase of the theory, and this 

 not in a mere superficial manner. Before the publication of this 

 work, Hutton's Theory was to the great body of geologists nothing 

 but the dream of an enthusiast ; for ever afterwards it became a 

 reality, and the theory of a philosopher. 



The vexed questions of originality and priority are frequently 

 the stumbling-blocks to a correct estimate of the services of great 

 men. It has often happened that a great discovery has been made 

 by one man, the importance and value of which have not been re- 

 cognized until made manifest by another. The familiar case of the 

 accidental discovery of Voltaic Electricity by Galvani, and the 

 recognition of its importance by Yolta, is an extreme instance ; and 

 the one under discussion, though differing from it in some essential 

 respects (especially as regards accident), falls into the same category 

 in others. Hutton, no doubt, was too far in advance of his age for 

 his theory to be accepted by men of his generation, and it was 

 characterized as premature by Dr. Whewell, even in 1837. How 

 much longer it would have remained neglected had not Sir Charles 

 Lyell written the ' Principles,' may to some extent be inferred by a 

 reference to dates. Hutton's theory was first made public in 1788 ; 

 from that time to the publication of the ' Principles of Geology ' in 

 1830, a period of forty-two years, the progress made in Geological 

 Dynamics is insignificant compared with the advance made during 

 the thirty-six years which have since elapsed. We therefore endorse 

 the opinion expressed by eminent men long ago, that Sir Charles 

 Lyell's work was the beginning of a new era of progress in our 

 science — the commencement, in fact, of a Eational Geology. 



After scrutinizing the effects of existing causes of known in- 

 tensity, as exhibited at the present day, Sir Charles Lyell was 

 naturally led to examine the Tertiary deposits of different parts of 

 Europe ; and it was in tracing backwards the more and more com- 

 plete disappearance of recent forms from Tertiary faunas that he 

 conceived the idea of determining the relative age of these strata by 

 the ratio which the recent species of Mollusca in their respective 

 faunas bore to the extinct. Hence he proposed the now world- 

 renowned classification of Tertiary deposits into Eocene, Miocene, 

 and Pliocene ; and enunciated the scheme for their determination 



