THE LEWIS BROOKS MUSEUM. 21 



0t\ $on\e of tl\e f(elktioi\^ ki\d ^ekdtiii}^ 

 of G[eolo^y. 



INAUGURAL LECTURE BY 



WM. IMI. FOnSTTAIUB, 



PROFESSOR GEOLOGY AND NATURAL HISTORY, 



UNIVERSITY OF VA. 



Any attempt to discuss in the limits a single lecture 

 such a comprehensive subject as Natural History, or indeed 

 any portion of it, however restricted, must be extremely 

 imperfect and unsatisfactory. In the following remarks I 

 can present only a few of the many facts which entitle Na- 

 tural History to secure the earnest attention of an intelli- 

 gent and educated public. The points which I shall touch 

 upon are mere illustrations of the wealth of material which 

 nature offers to the student of her phenomena. In order to 

 deal with the subject with some degree of coherence, I shall 

 confine myself to facts which ilustrate two points : I. The 

 importance and. usefulness of the knowledge imparted by Na- 

 tural History ; and IT. The great interest of the problems 

 with which it deals. 



Nothing short of an elaboration of details would do 

 justice to the importance and interest of these illustrative 

 facts, but that would prolong this paper beyond all bounds. 

 I musr,, therefore_, content myself with little more than a 

 mere enumeration of them. 



The science of Geology is the most comprehensive of 

 all the branches of Natural History. It makes use of all of 

 them, and is indeed the study of all nature. It is hence 



