66 CONDENSED STATEMENT ON THE POINT. 
organic remains are facts unfavorable to that ar¬ 
rangement, we might indeed remember its position 
among these, and, that its immunity from fossils is 
nearly as reconcileable with such a classification, as 
the non-fossiliferous portions of sandstone, lime and 
slate, or the greywacke rock itself. In regarding this 
formula of deposition,’it must be recollected thatlime 
and sandstone are accumulated mostly on the coast, 
and that among the irregularities which occurred, 
slate is often superior to them both. 
I feel perfectly sensible of the want of perspicuity 
in the present theory, but console myself by reflect¬ 
ing that with our 'present means of theorizing, it 
would be difficult to frame one more consistent than 
that which supposes the simultaneous existence of 
several distinct kinds of fluid occupying separate 
limits in one common sea,—each also for the most 
part containing its own peculiar beings, and these 
turbid fluids precipitating their solid particles and 
contents so nearly at the same time as to be in some 
degree blended. 
It may now be useful at this stage of our inquiry, 
to present a succinct and connected statement of 
those facts which seemingly point out the propriety 
of regarding our fossiliferous rocks and their modi¬ 
fications as coeval,—deposited with small intervals 
of time, insufficient to render their separation perfect. 
To commence with that rock constituting the bulk 
of the series, and in some measure the basis as it 
were of the fabric— 
1. Slate—its various kinds are decidedly in con¬ 
nexion, graduating into each other, and apparently 
forming one mass. Greywacke rock is much con¬ 
nected with them, and even runs through them in 
veins, at the same time graduating on either side. 
2. Further, it is joined intimately to, and gra¬ 
duates most conspicuously into sandstone and lime, 
forming therewith intermediate rocks, such as 
