I04 The American Geologist. February, 1904. 
The existence of volcanoes remote from any water body, 
and in arid regions, is not a difficulty under the new hypothesis. 
The comparatively nonhydrous condition of the molten rock in 
many outpourings is not entirely clear, but it is less a difficulty 
under the new hypothesis, since this does not favor homogen- 
eity in the earth's mass nor uniform distribution of the volatile 
matter. The possible comparative dehydration of the deep in- 
terior of the earth has already been noted. Moreover, there is 
as it would seem, greater opportunity for localization or concen- 
tration of the volatile matter under the new than under the old 
hypothesis, because of greater porosity of the earth's mass. 
The theory of primogenial water-substance and other va- 
pors under the new hypothesis does not at once sweep away all 
the difficulties and mysteries of volcanism, but it gives a more 
rational philosophy of the matter and a good degree of unity to 
the phenomena. Let us who have been trained under the old 
hypothesis be on our guard in discussion of the new theories 
that our arguments or objections are not derived from or based 
on the old views. A new view-point is necessary to get the 
right perspective of the old problems. 
SOURCE OF THE HYDROCARBONS. 
It has already been said that under the old hypothesis not 
only the carbon dioxide now in the air, but all the carbon 
stored in the stratified rocks must have been m the primal at- 
mosphere. The withdrawal of the carbon from the air and the 
storing of it in limestone, coal and petroleum was formerly 
regarded as a divine process of purification, thereby fitting the 
globe for habitation by man and at the same time providing 
him with fuel. Geologists have long recogni^^ed in that view 
a serious difficulty, for such immense quantities of carbon di- 
/ oxide have been withdrawn from the air since the advent of 
air-breathing animals that it is doubtful if its full presence in 
the atmosphere at one time is consistent with aerial respira- 
tion. By far the larger part of the stored carbon is in post-Cam- 
brian strata, and a large portion in post-Paleozoic strata. The 
amount of carbon fixed in the stratified rocks has been various- 
ly estimated at from 20,000 to 200,000 times the present content 
of the atmosphere. The geologic evidences as to climate and 
life in Paleozoic time are decidedlv unfavorable to the idea of 
