THE QUARTERLY 



JOURNAL OF SCIENCE 



JANUAEY, 1867. 



I. SIE CHAELES LYELL AND MODEEN GEOLOGY. 



Of late years the attention of a large number of geologists has 

 been directed to an examination of the nature and potency of the 

 causes of change now operating on the surface of the earth. This 

 course of observation was first firmly trodden by Sir Charles Lyell ; 

 and now that we are reposing for a time after a series of contro- 

 versies on subaerial forces, it may be useful to give a sketch of the 

 services which have been rendered to science by the philosopher 

 who, thirty-six years ago, founded the now dominant school of 

 Geology. 



In 1830 Sir Charles Lyell published the first volume of the first 

 edition of the ' Principles of Geology.' As stated on the title-page, 

 it was " an attempt to explain the former changes of the earth's 

 surface by reference to causes now in action." This great work at 

 once established Sir Charles Lyell's reputation as a philosophical 

 geologist of the highest order; more than that, it produced the 

 1 Uniformitarian ' school of geology, to which belong nearly the 

 whole of the distinguished geologists of the present day, who at 

 that time were but students of the science. Mr. Darwin expects 

 that the younger zoologists will hereafter confirm his theory of 

 Natural Selection ; but Sir Charles Lyell can say that the younger 

 geologists of thirty years ago have done this for the doctrine of 

 Uniformity. In fact, soon after its publication, Lyell's ' Principles ' 

 became a household book; and although much that it contained 

 met with opposition from some of the leading geologists of the 

 day, that did not prevent the great body of their successors from 

 accepting it as their guide and text-book in geological reasoning. 

 The Eoyal Society also " crowned " the work by awarding a Eoyal 

 Medal to its author the year after its completion (1834). 



To future generations of geologists, Sir Charles Lyell's reputa- 

 tion will chiefly depend upon their estimate of the effect produced 

 on the scientific world by the publication of the first edition of 

 the 'Principles.' Even at this distance of time it is difficult to 



VOL. IV. B 



