CHAPTER II. 
EXAMINATION OF ROCKS. 
PRINCIPLES OF GEOLOGICAL STUDY— MUCH MAY BE 
LEARNED FROM AN INDOOR STUDY OF ROCK SPECIMENS 
— NO STUDY OF ROCKS COMPLETE WITHOUT AN EXAMI- 
NATION IN THE FIELD — PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING GEO- 
LOGICAL SCIENCE— THE EARTH SUBJECT TO CHANGE — 
THE SOLID LAND ELEVATED AND DEPRESSED —CONTINUED 
SLIGHT MOVEMENTS OF THE EARTH’S CRUST. 
The study of a rock is not at first sight very inviting. 
On a close examination it will be found that most rocks 
can be made to tell much of their own history. Ruskin 
has written that “ there is no natural object out of 
which more can be learned than out of stones. They 
seem to have been created especially to reward a patient 
observer. Nearly all the other objects in Nature can 
be seen, to some extent, without patience, and are 
pleasant even in being half seen. Trees, clouds, and 
rivers are enjoyable even by the careless. But the 
stone under the foot has nothing for carelessness but 
stumbling ; no pleasure is to be had out of it, nor food, 
nor good of any kind ; nothing but symbolism of the 
hard heart and the unfatherly gift. Yet do but give 
it some reverence and watchfulness, and there is bread 
