168 
COREESPONDEjN^CE. 
Geological Flagim^ism. 
The following copy of a letter published in the ' Eeader,' has been 
sent to us for insertion : — 
"Geological Plagtaeism, — To the Editor of the 'Eeader.' — Sir, — 
Under this head I observe a letter in the last impression of the ' Reader,' 
which is by no means flattering to myself, and I would therefore now beg 
to make a few remarks by way of explanation. ' E. Gr. S.' is not incorrect 
in supposing that he ' had seen the same ideas, and possibly some of the 
same expressions, not long before in the Memoirs of the Geological Sur- 
vey.' I acknowledge the similarity of idea in the passages quoted by him, 
and the sameness of expression of which, in one or two cases, as a student 
and a beginner, I have been unfortunately guilty, and which, but for an 
oversight, would have been indicated by inverted commas. But when I 
show how that has arisen, I hope ' F. G. S.' will understand my excuse ; 
and should this meet the eye of Mr. Geikie, that that gentleman will accept 
my apology. On reading over, some time ago, the Geological Survey's 
Memoir on Edinburgh, I was struck with Mr. Geikie's remarks on ' De- 
nudation ' in chap, xiii., which, by the way, applied to Midlothian gene- 
rally, and not to Arthur's Seat in particular. The idea which more es- 
pecially attracted my attention was that Midlothian had been subjected 
to a process of denudation at two different and widely-separate periods in 
geologic time, and as I happened to be studying the geology of Arthur's 
Seat at the time, I naturally desired to have a clearer idea of the effects of 
denudation on that particular hill. The result was the paper in question, 
which, as you can easily imagine, was written in the spirit of Mr. Geikie's 
remarks, but at the same time with the desire to give greater prominence 
than he has done to the idea above-mentioned. The of my paper is 
quite different from the chapter in the Memoir, and is all I ever intended 
to ' be regarded as original.' I certainly ought to have mentioned the 
source from which I had gathered a portion of my information, and herein 
I confess I have made a mistake ; but at the same time ' F. G. S.' and Mr. 
Geikie will remember that these ideas on the denudation of Midlothian 
are by no means new, but have been more or less entertained by our local 
geologists for some time back, and have even been made the subject of 
papers before the Edinburgh societies, as my own was before its appear- 
ance in the pages of the ' Geologist.' — I am. Sir, yoxxvs respectfully, James 
Haswell. 
" Edinburgh, 23>'rf March, 1864." 
The Eternity of the Universe; in Hehrew Phraseology, of the Heavens 
and the Earth. 
Sir,— After many years' reflection upon the subject, I have come to the 
conclusion that the true Scriptural doctrine — wliich at the same time com- 
mends itself to reason — is, that the universe (in Hebrew phraseology, the 
heavens and the earth) is eternal ; in other words, that as there always has 
been and will be a God, so there always has been and will be a universe, — 
in Hebrew phraseolog}^, an earth and heavens. I have come to the 
