From a Painting by James Hall, Esq. Engraved by S. Williams.
STRATA OF RED SANDSTONE, SLIGHTLY INCLINED, RESTING ON VERTICAL SCHIST, ATTHE SICCAR POINT, BERWICKSHIRE.
To illustrate unconformable Stratification. See page 60.
"The mind seemed to grow giddy by looking so far into the abyss of time;and while we listened with earnestness and admiration to the philosopherwho was now unfolding to us the order and series of these wonderful events,we became sensible how much farther reason may sometimes go thanimagination can venture to follow."—Playfair, Biography of Hutton.
A MANUAL
OF
ELEMENTARY GEOLOGY:
OR,
THE ANCIENT CHANGES OF THE EARTH AND
ITS INHABITANTS
AS ILLUSTRATED BY GEOLOGICAL MONUMENTS.
by Sir CHARLES LYELL, M.A. F.R.S.
AUTHOR OF "PRINCIPLES OF GEOLOGY," "TRAVELS IN NORTH AMERICA,"
"A SECOND VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES,"
ETC. ETC.
"It is a philosophy which never rests—its law is progress: a point whichyesterday was invisible is its goal to-day, and will be its starting postto-morrow."
Edinburgh Review, No. 132. p. 83. July, 1837.
FOURTH AND ENTIRELY REVISED EDITION.
ILLUSTRATED WITH 500 WOODCUTS.
LONDON:
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET.
1852.
[p.v]PREFACE TO THE FOURTH EDITION.
In consequence of the rapid sale of the third edition of the "Manual," ofwhich 2000 copies were printed in January last, a new edition has beencalled for in less than a twelvemonth. Even in this short interval some newfacts of unusual importance in palæontology have come to light, or havebeen verified for the first time. Instead of introducing these newdiscoveries into the body of the work, which would render them inaccessibleto the purchasers of the former edition, I have given them in a postscriptto this Preface (printed and sold separately), and have pointed out at thesame time their bearing on certain questions of the highest theoreticalinterest.[v-A]
As on former occasions, I shall take this opportunity of stating that the"Manual" is not an epitome of the "Principles of Geology," nor intended asintroductory to that work. So much confusion has arisen on this subject,that it is desirable to explain fully the different ground occupied by thetwo publi