WERNERIAN SVSTBM. 
151 
whole of the formation ; compound whein^issin.ilir rocks occur and nm- 
in one assemblage. Of the { roups which thus exist, some ate P^'****^* 
found w th strata parallel to those on which they rest ; in 
olheis, the su(-eriot strata disposed at various aitj-le* \siih re- 
ipect to those beneath them ; u hiUt in others ait.wu the incum- 
bent mass is placed across the ends of tire mteiior strata, or its 
position is “ unconformahle and overlyiirg. " In the technical 
language, then, of W erner, oi of Mr. Jameson, •“ the crust of 
the globe consists of rock formations of diderent magnitudes, 
laid over each other it) certain directions atid his doctrine is, 
not that in all places all the formations hitherto discovered, have 
existed, or will be fotind ; but that where they do occur, or in niativc 
whatever number, the r relative ortfer alwaysSs the same. His 
pii'ition ill 
investigations have accordingly been directed to determine roiiip<miul f.ir- 
what these “ formations ” are, and what the order of their oc- 
not vary. 
currence throughout the globe j and it is the re.sult of these 
inquiries which his “ System, " as edited by Mr. Jameson, is 
intended to convey. 
The observations of Lehman first pointed out the great dis- njsiinctiiai of 
tinction which exists ill nature between rocks containing ({jg forks contaiu- 
° mg or{>;uiiiud 
remains of organized bodies, and those in which no such pro- rmiain.s, &c. 
•duciions are to be found ; and it was soon remarked, that 
rocks of the latter description are further distinguished by seve- 
ral peculiarities of structure and position. 1 hey pervade the Rock* con- 
-whole of the globe, and are uniformly placed beneath all other 
rocks in strata vertical or very • much inclined 5 their structure lowest in siui- 
as, in most instances, crystalline, and there occurs among their n^ru’ vi 
icomponents scarcely any matter that appears to have been me- < f'>'t»l- 
-V - I 1 L- • line structure ; 
chanically divided. Of the rocks exhibiting these characters, with n<> mix- 
vwbich comprehend several “ formations,” W^erner has consti- 
r nicnis. 
uted a class to which he gives the name of primitive, from the The v.tre railed 
lupposed priority of the period during w hich they were pro- pnmuivt fui 
nialiciu 
:Juced j a remarkable subdivision being derived from their re- 
ative position ; for granite, gneiss, mica slate, clay slate, uiih 
lome others of less importance, occur w ith a •' coiiforuiaiile’’ 
irrangernent of their strata ; whilst primitive trap, the newei 
erpentine, the second porphyry, sienite and the aewest gra- 
nite, 
