lO PRI^XIPLES OF PALAEONTOLOGY. 



this infinity. Insufterable is the glory of God. Let me lie 

 dowTi in the grave, and hide me from the persecution of the 

 Infinite, for end, I see, there is none."" 



CHAPTER L 



THE SCOPE AXD MATERL4LS OF PAL.FOXTOLOGV. 



The study of the rock-masses which constitute the crust of the 

 earth, if carried out in the methodical and scientific manner of 

 the geologist, at once brings us, as has been before remarked, 

 in contact with the remains or traces of living beings which 

 formerly dwelt upon the globe. Such remains are found, in 

 greater or less abundance, in the great majority of rocks; and 

 they are not only of great interest in themselves, but they have 

 proved of the greatest importance as throwing light upon vari- 

 ous difficult problems in geology, in natural history, in botany, 

 and in philosophy. Their study constitutes the science of 

 palaeontology ; and though it is possible to proceed to a cer- 

 tain length in geology and zoology without much palseontolo- 

 gical knowledge, it is hardly possible to attain to a satisfac- 

 tor}' general acquaintance with either of these subjects with- 

 out having mastered the leading facts of the first. Similarly, 

 it is not possible to study palaeontology without some ac- 

 quaintance with both geology and natural history. 



Pal.eoxtology, then, is the science which treats of the 

 living beings, whether animal or vegetable, which have in- 

 habited the earth during past periods of its history. Its object 

 is to eludicate, as far as may be, the structure, mode of exist- 

 ence, and habits of all such ancient formes of life : to detennine 

 their position in the scale of organised beings ; to lay dowm 

 the geographical limits within which they flourished ; and to 

 fix the period of their advent and disappearance. It is the 

 ancient life-history of the earth ; and were its record complete, 

 it would furnish us with a detailed knowledge of the form and 

 relations of all the animals and plants which have at any period 

 flourished upon the land-surfaces of the globe or inhabited its 

 waters ; it v\'ould enable us to determine precisely their succes- 

 sion in time ; and it would place in our hands an unfailing key 

 to the problems of evolution. Unfortunately, from causes 

 which will be subsequently discussed, the palseontological 

 record is extremely imperfect, and our knowledge is inter- 



