4 
THE GEOLOGIST. 
of error and rigidly excluding all he finds; to such a man — 
and is it not the duty of all of us to try to make ourselves such ? — 
Geology presents a never faihug resource wherever he may be. It 
may be studied in every locality, is open alike to him whose lot 
lies in remote rural districts, and to the denizen of cities. Tlie 
surface of the whole earth, and the ojjerations constantly in pro- 
gress upon it, form the pages from which its lessons are leanit. 
Each cloud-capt mountain and fruitful vaUey ; each rushing river 
and rippling brook ; the surging ocean and the i)lacid lake ; the 
tide-worn sea beach and the well-tilled field, alike contribute to 
elucidate its mysteries. Not a lane, not a gravel-pit, not a quarry, 
or well, no summer's scorching heat, no winter's flood and frost, that 
does not fiu'uish either the results and relics of bye-gone ages, or 
the key, by whose aid these may be deciphered, and their meaning 
interpreted. Every pebble, every gi-ain of sand, has a wonderful 
history. The very dust of the ground we ti'ead on is replete with 
food for thought. 
If age is venerable, then do the subjects of which Geology treats 
command the highest veneration. The antiquary counts the years 
that have elapsed since the stately building, over whose ruin he 
ponders, was first raised towards heaven, but the Geologist can 
say, — "Your old building is a mere stripling, compared with the 
stone it is built of; I will tell you of periods when that stone 
itself was being made ; so lengthened, so remote, that the mind is 
lost in amazement, in consideiing them ; if you love antiquities, 
follow me, and I will show you monuments and medals, iniins and 
relics, that will amply gratify your love for searching into the 
hidden past; I will disclose to you a tale of ancient epochs, so 
astounding as to make one quiver with emotion in listening to it, 
so marvellous as to fill the mind with unmixed reverence for the 
great Controller of events ; the all-wise and Almighty Creator of 
the universe." 
This grand Science is intimately associated with several other 
natural sciences. It is indebted to them, and they to it. The Chemist 
and Mineralogist have here an ample field for turning then* 
studies to account ; both of them gather from Geology stores of 
knowledge, and yield to it valuable infonnation ; the Zoologist is 
enlightened by it, and sheds upon it invaluable light; the 
