Essay on the Theory of the Earth

Cover......Page 1
Frontmatter......Page 6
PREFACE......Page 10
ADVERTISEMENT TO THE SECOND EDITION......Page 16
Contents......Page 18
1. PRELIMINARY Observations......Page 22
2. Plan of this Essay......Page 23
3 Of the first Appearance of the Earth......Page 27
4. First Proof of Revolutions on the Surface of the Earth......Page 28
5. Proofs that such Revolutions have been numerous......Page 34
6. Proofs that the Revolutions have been sudden......Page 36
7. Proofs of the Occurrence of Revolutions before the Existence of Living Beings......Page 38
8. Examination of the Causes which act at present on the Surface of our Globe......Page 45
9. Of Slips, or Falling Down of the Materials of Mountains......Page 46
10. Of Alluvial Formations......Page 47
11. Of the Formation of Downs......Page 50
12. Of the Formation of Cliffs, or steep Shores......Page 51
13. Of Depositions formed in Water......Page 53
15. Of Lithophytes......Page 54
16. Of Incrustations......Page 55
17. Of Volcanoes......Page 56
18. Of Astronomical Causes of the Revolutions on the Earth's Surface......Page 58
19. Of former Systems of Geology......Page 60
20. Diversities of the Geological Systems, and their Causes......Page 69
21. Statement of the Nature and Conditions of the Problem to be solved......Page 70
22. Of the Progress of Mineral Geology......Page 73
23. Of the Importance of Extraneous Fossils, or Petrifactions, in Geology......Page 75
24. High Importance of investigating the Fossil Remains of Quadrupeds......Page 78
25. Of the small Probability of discovering new Species of the larger Quadrupeds......Page 82
26. Enquiry respecting the Fabulous Animals of the Ancients......Page 95
27. Of the Difficulty of distinguishing the Fossil Bones of Quadrupeds......Page 109
28. Results of the Researches respecting the Fossil Bones of Quadrupeds......Page 124
29. Relations of the Species of Fossil Bones, with the Strata in which they are found......Page 126
30. Proofs that the extinct Species of Quadrupeds are not Varieties of the present existing Species......Page 135
31. Proofs that there are no Human Bones in the Fossil State......Page 148
32. Proofs of the recent Population of the World, and that its present Surface is not of very ancient Formation......Page 153
33. Proofs, from Traditions, of a great Catastrophe, and subsequent Renewal of Human Society......Page 167
34. Proofs derived from several Miscellaneous Considerations......Page 186
35. Concluding Reflections......Page 192
SUPPLEMENT......Page 204
APPENDIX: MINERALOGICAL NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS......Page 216
A. On the Subsidence of Strata......Page 218
B. On Primitive Rocks......Page 220
D. Salisbury Craigs......Page 221
E. On the Alluvial Land of the Danish Islands in the Baltic, and on the Coast of Sleswick......Page 222
F. On the Sand Elood......Page 238
G. On Coral Islands......Page 241
H. On the Diminution of the Waters of the Ocean......Page 246
I. Werner's View of the Natural History of Petrifactions......Page 249