328 
PROCEEDINGS, 1859 — 1870. 
sandstone which Captain Drayson calls secondaries. There was a 
constant expansion of the earth, and its body became separated by a 
proportionably greater distance from the sun. During the carboni- 
ferous period the growth of plants exceeded in luxuriance the 
productions of the hottest parts of the globe at the present time ; 
and this, according to the author, is exactly the result that might be 
expected. In addition to the closer proximity of the earth to the 
sun, and the inclination of its polar axis, the sun would be for one- 
fourth of the year constantly above the horizon, and a much greater 
temperature would be maintained than would be possible at present, so 
that vegetation would spring up in enormous quantities, and whilst 
the extent of winter would be equally great and proportionably severe 
the plants would be frozen, and at the same time preserved by the 
great covering of snow. During the succeeding epoch, whilst the 
Permian beds were in process of formation, the earth's crust was 
greatly disturbed by faults and dislocations. These are all shown to 
be due to a further expansion of the earth's crust, which appears at 
this time to have been more abrupt and violent than any either pre- 
ceding or succeeding it. Tlie greater expansion of the earth removed 
it still further from the sun, and the decreased temperature rendered 
possible the existence of the succeeding forms of animal life, which 
have successively peopled its surface. In more recent times, old 
coast lines and raised beaches are brought forward as proofs of the 
further expansion of the earth. Fissures, joints, mineral veins, are 
all considered in support of this theory. Astronomical arguments 
are adduced in favour of it, and a comparison is made between tlie 
position of the north pole of the planets as compared with that of the 
earth with regard to the sun. The planet Venus may be taken as an 
example of his argument. Venus is spherical like the earth, rotates 
on its axis, has an atmosphere, and in fact appears very like our 
globe, except that a singular annual variation of climate prevails upon 
her surface. " If Great Britain were tranferred to the same latitude 
on Venus that it occupies on our earth, we should have an iVrctic 
climate in winter, during which the sun would be absent nearly 40 
days, and thus Scotland, Wales and England would have their glaciers 
and icebergs formed in winter." In the summer, however, there 
