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THE CLASSIFICATION OF THE EOZOIC AND LOWER 
PALAEOZOIC ROCKS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 
By HENRY HICKS, M.D., F.G.S., &c. 
[Plates VII. and VIII.] 
T HE additions which have been made to onr knowledge 
in regard to the history and classification of the older 
[rocks in Great Britain of late years have been very numerous, 
J and yet but few attempts have been made to array them in 
I systematic order, so that their importance may be readily 
\ recognized. The most elaborate account recently placed be- 
[fore the Geological world is the address of the President of the 
[Geological Society (R. Etheridge, Esq., F.R.S.), published in the 
May number of the Quarterly Journal. An admirable paper, 
ilso, on a portion of these rocks, by Professor C. Lapworth, 
E.G.S., appeared in the June and July numbers of the Geo- 
'ogical Magazine for this year.* In the present paper I pro- 
)ose to give a brief connected statement of the present state 
>f our knowledge of these rocks, and the classification which 
I appears to me the most natural one. Some new names will, of 
necessity, have to be added to explain local subdivisions, but 
n regard to the larger formations the terms which have been 
generally used in my papers of late years appear at present 
o be sufficient to include all the rocks explored. 
Part I. 
Eozoic (Pre-Cambrian). 
For the sake of uniformity in the names for the larger 
eriods in geological chronology, I adopt here the term which 
* See also papers by the Author, Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. rols. xxxi., 
criii., xxxiv., and xxxv. ; Proceedings Geol. Assoc, vols. iii. and vii. ; and 
eol. Mag. Decade II. vols. iii. and vi. 
NEW SERIES, VOL. V. NO. XX. U 
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