36 
what that learned Professor has more recently written m his Geological 
Gossip ; and which will he found an ample justification of the very strongest 
things I have said throughout this pamphlet. X commend Professor Ansted s 
candid remarks to the special consideration of Dr. Colenso, Dr. Temple, a 
the two or three gentlemen who have favoured me with somewhat i hypercritical 
strictures 1 upon some sentences in the Circular of 24th May and the Scuntia 
Scientiarum. 
“An account (says the distinguished Professor) of the correction of the 
mistakes in geology might furnish matter for many amusing and instructive 
“ fwork rn! the present. Pew of the younger 
day, and fewer still among general readers, have any idea of the ■ ,Jo 
wtoh opinions have become imperceptibly modified m many ™P^ant depart- 
ments of geological science within the last quarter of a century, 
JTe not been wanting several absolute and formal reoantarions enforcedfrom 
time to time by direct discovery. The great cause of this is to be found m 
the inveterate habit that almost all of us have of over-estimating the value o 
“itrgtoteTxamine a certain district, and remark the absence ° f 
objects or group concerning which there seems no good reason why it should 
not have been handed down as perfectly as some others that have beenpre- 
served. At once the theorist jumps to the conclusion that the tribe of anuna s 
not represented had not been created. A theory is soon built np on the 
strength of it; for no one can oppose it without having the onus pro Wi 
thrown upon him. But some fine day the required fact is discovered often to 
tte”st of the theorists, to the equal vexation of the student, audit would 
almost seem to tbe annoyance of everybody. 
The first impulse of human nature is to put the unlucky discovery on one 
side-say nothing about it i-most likely it will bear investigation, and there- 
fore doJt let us have the trouble of investigating it ! It is so painful to be 
stopped in a pleasant career of progress, and to be obliged to examine cm ej y, 
and weigh fairly, the evidence in regard to a matter we thought settled when 
we began work some twenty years ago. # . , i_ QQ( q 
A troublesome Frenchman— M. Boucher de Perthes— took it into his head 
that some remains of men ought to be found in gravel. M. Perthes alth^gh 
he found plenty of specimens, and published an octavo volume about them 
and even offered his specimens to the savants of Paris, could not obtain a 
bearin' Few readers, either in France or England, seem even to have been 
aware of his book. The subject was tabooed, because people s minds were 
Xe made up on tbe subject, confiding in the strength o the negative 
evidence, which really meant little more than a total absence of inquiry. 
* One of my critics recently boasted in print that he continued now to teach 
tbe same geology be bad done for fifty years . 
