246 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



capsincola flies to deposit its eggs after the 

 middle of the month, and D. carpophaga to 

 Sihne inflata, and at honeysuckle flowers the 

 prizes you should seek are, Cucutlia umbratica, 

 the gems Plusia, &c, but as in June there is 

 not one moment to be lost, dont let me take 

 up your time by recapitulation. 



A FEW WORDS ABOUT 

 GEOLCGY. 



By Chas, H. H. Walker, Liverpool. 



The Science of Geology has received, of late 

 years, much attention from scientific men, 

 which it may be said to have richly deserved. 

 The simple fact of a discovery of animal 

 remains embedded in the solid rock, and com- 

 posed of mineral matter, is alone sufficient to 

 attract the attention of the most casual 

 observer. But when he takes the fossil into his 

 hands, and makes a thorough investigation of 

 it, a new light breaks upon him. As if by 

 magic, the mists that have so long shrouded 

 the realms of the past are parted. He be- 

 holds—in his mind's eye — vast oceans, seas 

 and lakes, sub-tropical vegetation and icy 

 deserts. Might conquers right, and the 

 weaker animal crouches at the feet of the 

 stronger. He beholds the fiery torrent of 

 lava burst from the mountains' sides, sweep 

 past in its work of devastation, roaring, 

 fuming, and dashing along in its awful 

 grandeur. He sees his own globe "without 

 form and void,' now blazing in the heavens, 

 and whirling through the infinitudes of space 

 in a molten condition, then shrouded in 

 darkness, when the " waters prevailed." 



Taking up for a while the fascinations of 

 ante-deluvian ages, we are tempted to examine 

 the past and present condition of condition of 

 our planet. In the first place, we stand upon 

 a firm solid surface, called the crust, because 

 it encloses a molten red-hot mass. 



This crust is composed of various kinds of 

 rocks, over-lying one another, and forming 

 what are called strata. From the character 

 of the fossils found in these strata, we can 



determine under what conditions the rocks 

 were deposited : how and in what place. 



A few words as to the formation of strata, 

 and the former condition of our planet. 



We have abundant evidence of the molten 

 condition, either wholly or in part of the 

 earth's interior. Now we know that heated 

 bodies always have a tendency to lose their 

 heat, and contract. Hence we argue that the 

 earth must at one time have been considerably 

 hotter, and, as a natural consequence, much 

 larger, than it is at present ; so hot, indeed, 

 | that neither water nor life could exist upon 

 I its surface, the former appearing as vast 

 cloud banks suspended over the molten mass 

 i beneath. But as radiation went on, a skin or 

 ' crust would form, gradually increasing in 

 I thickness as the temperature decreased ; and, 

 making no exception to the rule, the crust 

 contracted in cooling, and vast cracks or 

 ! fissures rent the surface in all directions, into 

 | which the water gradually collected ; for 

 | there was then insufficient heat to prevent 

 I condensation, and the seas and oceans ap- 

 i peared, possibly to such an extent that the 

 I whole of the globe was one dreary waste of 

 I waters. These gradually sudsiding, the con- 

 tinents and islands appeared, many being 

 forced up by volcanic disturbances. In fact 

 ! these latter phenomena would be pretty fre- 

 j quent, on account of the comparative thinness 

 \ of the crust, and the immense quantities of 

 ; subterranean gasses generated. 



That the world had an anterior state to this, 

 I there is no reason to doubt, it being so hot that 

 it could not exist in a molten form, but 

 j revolved in the infinity of space in the con- 

 | dition of an incandescent mass of gaseous 

 ; matter. 



To return to the points where the con- 

 i tinents were upraised. A constant conflict 

 ; went on between the land and the water, the 

 '; latter encroaching upon the former and wear- 

 j ing it away. This is going on now, and no 

 ] sea-side rambler can have failed to notice the 

 i alteration in the form of the cliffs since he 

 j last visited the spot but a few years ago. 



