lence of successive deluges; but the strata that we know to be of recent formation, are never found subtending the older ones. Let there be a succession of strata A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, &c. &c. or The stratum C, the stratum F, the stratum I, the strata K, L, M, &c. may be wanting from the causes just now indicated: but never do we find the stratum C, superimposed upon F, the stratum E, superimposed upon K. In this respect, the order is never found subverted, unless by the accidents of avalanche, of boulder stone, or a double formation of some of the earlier strata. Thus the rock called Sienite, Hornblende or Amphibolic rock, appears often with the gneiss, sometimes reposing on the granite, sometimes on the gneiss; and another sienite (the Zircon-Sienite) of a more soft and disintegrated character, appears to have been formed toward the close of the primitive series, These apparent anomalies, however, furnish no difficulties to the travelling student. A series of strata having common characters, and clearly appearing to belong to one period of time, sometimes alternate; these series of strata are called formations. Thus the gneiss is found usually on the old or foundation granite, but sometimes the clay slate immediately covers the granite rock; sometimes greenstone, sometimes the magnesian rocks. Let A, B, C, D, E, F, &c. be a series of strata, possessing some obvious characters in common, that appear to give them individuality as a series. It may happen that D will repose upon A instead of B. It may be, that E or F may follow C, and that L and D in that region or locality may be wanting. Such happens in particular localities among the strata of the primitive and also of the transition series. There is no difficulty in accounting for this, from want of the stratum originally, or from subsequent destruction. The laws of succession and superposition are regular; but so also are the laws that have occasioned the apparent anomalies. All these were difficulties formerly, but they are better understood now. Hence, if a man suddenly finds himself placed with his foot on stratum E, he will know what strata, what subordinate beds, and what imbedded substances he may look for as he ascends the series of strata, or descends. The old arrangements, founded on Werner's, and still widely adopted on the continent of Europe and in this country, is into The primitive series: from the old granite to the primitive limestone, inclusive. The transition series: from thence to the old red sandstone, inclusive. The secondary series: from the old red sandstone to the upper chalk, inclusive. The tertiary series of the Paris, the London, and Isle of Wight basins. The volcanic series: ancient, modern. The arrangement lately adopted by the English geologists, to avoid the theoretical considerations which induced Werner to adopt the appellation of transition (while the earth was in transitu, or passing from an uninhabitable to an habitable state) is as follows: The inferior order of strata, including Werner's primitive. The submedial, from the primitive lime-stone to the old red sandstone, exclusive. The medial, from the old red sandstone inclusive, to the new or saliferous red sandstone, exclusive: characterized by including the mountain or carboniferous limestone, and all the bituminous coal-fields. The supermedial, from the bituminous coal-fields exclusive, to the upper flint-chalk inclusive. The superior, including the strata of the above named tertiary series to the alluvium. The annexed tabular view is somewhat altered, according to our own personal observations, from M. De la Beche's tables. Of the tertiary formation or series of rocks: the superior order of the British geologists. Found in the Isle of Wight basin; in the London basin; in the Paris basin, where it is about 500 feet thick; in Italy; and lately by Messrs. Muchison and Sedgewick at Gratz, in Carinthia, from 2 to 3000 feet thick. Mr. Lardner Vanuxem and Dr. Morton seem to think they have observed traces of it in New-Jersey, but much more investigation is necessary before this can be admitted. The New-Jersey country appears to us much more analogous to the Hastings or iron sand formation, but our opinion is too conjectural to be relied on in this respect. The same, or very nearly allied organic remains, as those of the tertiary and diluvial strata of the basins of Paris and London, of the Sub-Apennine hills, and of the shores of the Baltic, have been (we are told) recently observed in the same kind of strata on the banks of the Irawadda in the Birman empire, in the neighbourhood of the Brachmaputra in Bengal, and in Jamaica.* The Paris basin has been, upon the whole, the most thoroughly examined by Cuvier and Brogniart, and we shall, * Ed. Phil. Journ. GENERAL CHARACTER. 850 feet thick. Blueish grey to black. Bears a polish: 700 feet thick. Coarse-grained sandstone; the grains cemented. Some limestone and coal. 1000 feet thick. Coal alternating with 50-100 beds of slate, clay and sandstone. 1650 feet thick. It reposes on the new red conglomerate and the magnesian limestone, Zechstein. Two beds, blue Li & white. Slightly argillaceous. thographic. In depth 500 feet. ler's earth. Oolite 450 deep of Fulfrom being granular like a fish-roe. 1500 feet thick. Bituminous Shale, Septaria, Forest Marble & Stonesfield, calc, slate, included. 250 feet in thin strata. Beds of sandstone, ! clay and marle, containing iron ore. Blueish grey, smooth slaty clay, with beds of limestone. Petworth marble. Clay iron stone. Lower green sand gault. Upper green sand, 500 feet thick. 700 feet thick. Lower hard chalk contains no flint. Upper soft chalk abounds in green flint. ! REMAINS. * CHARACTERISTIC FOSSILS. 3. Teeth, Vertebræ, and defensive fin-bone of fish. Trinites in abundance. Corals, Echinites, Nautilites, Am* Productus and Spirifer. the plants of the next Coal series. In the Limestone, ns, Lepidodendrons, Cactus. Stems of plants generally I climates. Ammonites, Orthocerites, Terebratula, Pecnio, Mytilus: the latter, fresh water shells. *The Plants. Crocodile nd Gypsum in dispersed, irregular masses. ants, Cycadæa, Equiseta. Animals of the Saurian or as Crocodile, Plesiosaurus, Icthyosaurus. Fish, Fish es. Many shells oceanic, and a few fresh water. Ammonites Bucklandii. Plagiostoma gigantæa. Gry. Encrinites, Echinites, Corals, Nautilus, Ammonites, r shells. A few fresh water shells subordinate. lilatata. Megalosauru, Plesiosaurus, Icthyosaurus, Crocodile, mmonites, Nautilites, and many other shells. Apocri or Bradford Encrinite. * Avicula ovata. Gryphæa rea deltoida. Pecten camillosus. * Ammon. tripli * * 'urtle, Fish, Defensive fin-bone, Ostrea, Vivipara. lants, Carbonized Vegetables, Herbivorous Iguanodon t, 60 feet long. Megalosaurus, Plesiosaurus, Crocodile, Shark's teeth, Defensive fin-bone, Palates, Fish, Echishells, fresh water and oceanic; the latter subordinate. sive fin-bone, Fish teeth, Crustacea. Many shells both esh water, the latter subordinate. Ostrea carinata. Icatus. Gervilia aviculoides. Thetis minor. Tri The shells, oceanic. Bones of Saurian or Lizard animals. Crustacea. Fish, therefore, with De la Beche, take that as a type of the tertiary or superior order. In the ascending series then, we arrive next at the SUPERIOR ORDER OR TERTIARY SERIES OF ROCKS. Strata. PLASTIC Sandy cluy Liguite with amber. Crocodile. Plaand pebble norbis, Lymneus, Physa, Paludina, Melania, beds alter-Ostrea, with many others, both fresh water nating. and oceanic, chiefly the former. Coarse limestone alter Lamantin. Walrus, Cetacea. Plants. Num CALCAIRE nating with mulites. Cerithium, Lucina, Cardium, Vo- GYPSEOUS UPPER MARINE stone. Second oce-1 Siliceous and Shells are Oliva, Cerithium, Melana, Pectunculus, Ostrea, Citharea, Corbula, Fusus? sands & sand Solarium? Crassatella? Donax? An oceanic FORMATION. stones resting upon argilla deposit, 160 feet in depth. UPPER OR ceous green Variable. Fri¦ able, calcare Plants. Gyrogonites, Cyclostoma, Potami. ous marles, sides, Planorbis, Lymneus, Bolimus, Pupa, Helix. 60 feet in depth. FRESHWATER liceous mill- DILUVIUM. ALLUVIUM. Gravel, sand, Mastodon, Elephant, Rhinoceros, Elasmoclay; produ- therium, Horse, Deer, Ox, Trogontherium, ced by causes Megatherium, Megalonix, Tigers, Bear, Hynot now in æna, Hippopotamos. Cetacea. Elephas action. primigenius. Rhinocerous trichorinus.Oceanic deposit. Gravels, sands, clays, produced by Remains of existing animals and plants; beaches, &c. Such is a very brief and necessarily imperfect sketch of the revolutions of the earth and animated nature. First. Many, many ages appear to have been occupied in the gradual formation of the earth's first crust, and the condensation VOL. VI. NO. 12. 39 |