Essay on the theory of the earth / by M Cuvier ... ; with mineralogical notes, and an account of Cuvier's geological discoveries, by Professor Jameson ; to which are now added, observations on the geology of North America ; illustrated by the description of various organic remains, found in that part of the world by Samuel L. Mitchill.

  • Cuvier, Georges, baron, 1769-1832.
Date:
1818
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Essay on the theory of the earth / by M Cuvier ... ; with mineralogical notes, and an account of Cuvier's geological discoveries, by Professor Jameson ; to which are now added, observations on the geology of North America ; illustrated by the description of various organic remains, found in that part of the world by Samuel L. Mitchill. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

    13/454
    by the writings and conversations of his pupils, and have contributed materially to the advance- ment of this branch of natural history in Ger- many, France, and also in Great Britain. Pe~ trifactions are no longer viewed as objects of mere curiosity, as things isolated and unrelated to the rocks of which the crust of the earth is composed; on the contrary, they are now con- sidered as one of the most important features in the strata of all regions of the earth. By the regularity and determinate nature of their distribution, they afford characters which assist us in discriminating not only single beds, but also whole formations of rocks 5 and in this respect they are highly interesting to the geog- nostical inquirer. To the geologist this beau- tiful branch of natural history opens up nume- rous and uncommonly curious views of nature in the mineral kingdom: it shows him the commencement of the formation of organic beings,—it points out the gradual succession in the formation of animals, from the almost pri- maeval coral near the primitive strata, through all the wonderful variety of form and structure