the late Professor Jameson. 19 
ing the progress of its formation, from the earliest periods 
to the present time. The zoologist and botanist, by the dis- 
covery of new genera and species, hoped to increase the num- 
ber of natural families, to fill up gaps in the present systems, 
and thus to perfect more and more the natural system of 
animals and plants. But this was not all. The philosophic 
naturalist soon saw that these investigations would also lead 
to much curious information in regard to the former physical 
and geographical distribution of plants and animals, to the 
changes which the animated world in general, and particular 
genera and species, have undergone, and probably are still 
undergoing ; and he would naturally be led to speculate on 
the changes that must have taken place in the climate of the 
globe during these various changes and revolutions. The writ- 
ings of Blumenbach, Von Hoff, Cuvier, Brongniart, Steffens, 
and other naturalists, are proofs of what has been done by 
following up the views of Werner.”’* 
“ In our last number (says Thomson), we inserted an admir- 
able paper by Professor Jameson, of Edinburgh, vindicating 
the geognosy of Werner from the attack made upon it by the 
Edinburgh Review. Professor Jameson maintained, against 
the opinion of the reviewer, that Haiiy and Brongniart, in 
their account of the environs of Paris, had adopted the con- 
clusions, and used the language, of the Wernerian geognosy. 
Had he seen the Recherches sur les Ossemens fossiles de Qua- 
drupeds, published by Haiiy in 1812, he would have found 
the following passage, which deserves to be quoted as a vin- 
dication, or rather demonstration, of Professor Jameson’s 
opinion :—‘ En effet, la partie purement minerale du grand 
probleme de la theorie de la terre & été etudiée avec un soin 
_admirable par de Saussure, et portée depuis 4 un developpe- 
ment etonnant par M. Werner et par les nombreux et savans 
eleves qu il 4 formés—Le second (Werner) profitant des nom- 
breuses excavations faites dans le pays du monde ou sont les 
plus anciennes mines, a fixé les loix de succession des couches ; 
il 4 montré leur ancienneté respective et pursuivi chacune 
-* The genius of Werner, of De Saussure, and of Cuvier, laid the foundations on 
which geology now rests. They gave us the first glimpse of the fauna and flora 
of the earlier ages of our planet.— EDIT. 
B.2 
