TABLE OF CONTENTS.

LIST OF LIGNOGRAPHS IN VOL. I.

INTRODUCTION.

PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

PART I.

CHAPTER II.

CHAPTER III.

PART II.

CHAPTER IV.

CHAPTER V.

CHAPTER VI.

PART III.

FOSSIL ZOOLOGY.

CHAPTER VII.

CHAPTER VIII.

CHAPTER IX.

CHAPTER X.

CHAPTER XI.

LIST OF LIGNOGRAPHS IN VOL. II.

TABLE OF CONTENTS. (2)

CHAPTER XII.

CHAPTER XIII.

CHAPTER XIV.

CHAPTER XV.

CHAPTER XVI.

CHAPTER XVII.

CHAPTER XVIII.

CHAPTER XIX.

RETROSPECT.

APPENDIX TO PART III.

PART IV.

CHAPTER XX.

CHAPTER XXI.

CHAPTER XXII.

CHAPTER XXIII.

CHAPTER XXIV.

CHAPTER XXV.

MISCELLANEOUS.

GENERAL INDEX.

THE

OR,

FIRST LESSONS IN GEOLOGY,

AND

THE STUDY OF ORGANIC REMAINS.

VOL. I.

"If we look with wonder upon the great remains of human works, such as the columns of Palmyra, broken in the midst of the desert; the temples of PÆstum, beautiful in the decay of twenty centuries; or the mutilated fragments of Greek sculpture in the Acropolis of Athens, or in our own museums, as proofs of the genius of artists, and power and riches of nations now past away; with how much deeper feeling of admiration must we consider those grand monuments of nature which mark the revolutions of the Globe; continents broken into islands; one land produced, another destroyed; the bottom of the ocean become a fertile soil; whole races of animals extinct, and the bones and exuviÆ of one class covered with the remains of another; and upon the graves of past generations—the marble or rocky tombs, as it were, of a former animated world—new generations rising, and order and harmony established, and a system of life and beauty produced out of chaos and death; proving the infinite power, wisdom, and goodness of the Great Cause of all things!"—Sir H. Davy.

MEDALS OF CREATION

THE

OR,

FIRST LESSONS IN GEOLOGY,

AND

THE STUDY OF ORGANIC REMAINS.

BY

GIDEON ALGERNON MANTELL, LL.D. F.R.S. V.P.G.S.

PRESIDENT OF THE WEST LONDON MEDICAL SOCIETY, ETC. AUTHOR OF THE WONDERS OF GEOLOGY, ETC.

Gideon Algernon Mantell

IN TWO VOLS.—VOL. 1.

CONTAINING

SECOND EDITION, ENTIRELY REWRITTEN.

LONDON:
HENRY G. BOHN, YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN.
MDCCCLIV

LONDON:
R. CLAY, PRINTER, BREAD STREET HILL.

TO

MY SONS,

WALTER MANTELL,

OF WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND,

AND

REGINALD NEVILLE MANTELL,

OF KENTUCKY, UNITED STATES,

MY LAST ATTEMPT TO PROMOTE THE ADVANCEMENT

OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE,

IS MOST AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED.

G. A. M.

Chester Square, Pimlico,
     Feb. 3, 1853.

[The above having been penned by the much-lamented author of the "Medals" some months previous to his decease, it is retained in this posthumous edition of his favourite work as an appropriate dedication, dictated by the parental affection of one of the chief promoters of geological science in England, and addressed to his absent sons, whose works have already shown them to be enthusiastic labourers in the same field, both at home and in distant parts of the world.]

« vi »
« vii »

PREFATORY NOTE TO THE SECOND EDITION.

The untimely Decease of the lamented Author of the "Medals of Creation" during the progress of the present edition through the press has unavoidably delayed its publication.

The First Volume has been wholly rewritten by the Author.

The materials of the Second Volume had been elaborately revised and much enlarged by Dr. Mantell previously to his Decease. The Editor has laboured to carry out the intentions of the Author in rendering this part of the Work as complete a compendium as possible of the PalÆontological history of the Organic Beings of which it treats, and in adapting it to the requirements of the Geological Student of the present time.

The various sources from which palÆontological and zoological information has been derived have, for the most part, been adverted to in the text or in the footnotes. The Editor, however, has especially to acknowledge the kindness of Mr. J. Morris, F.G.S., in allowing him to refer to the proof-sheets of the forth-coming edition of his "Catalogue of British Fossils," and thereby affording him important assistance in making correct statements of the distribution of the Fossil Remains of the Crustacea, Insecta, and Vertebrata, in the strata of the British Islands.

T. Rupert Jones.

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.

In the first edition of the Wonders of Geology, an intention was expressed of immediately publishing, as a sequel to those volumes, "First Lessons," or an Introduction to the Study of Petrifactions, for persons wholly unacquainted with the nature of Fossil Remains; but the completion of the contemplated work was unavoidably postponed, from year to year, by the long and severe indisposition of the Author.

In the meanwhile several works professing the same object have issued from the press; and an enlarged edition of Sir C. Lyell's "Elements" has also appeared, in which the elementary principles of physical Geology are fully illustrated, and numerous figures given of the characteristic fossils of the several formations, or groups of strata. But that department of the science which especially treats of Organic Remains is necessarily considered in a cursory manner; and a work upon the plan originally contemplated by the Author seems still to be required, to initiate the young and uninstructed in the study of those Medals of Creation—those electrotypes of nature—the mineralized remains of the plants and animals which successively flourished in the earlier ages of our planet, in periods incalculably remote, and long antecedent to all human history and tradition.

With this conviction the present volumes are offered, with such modifications of the original plan as circumstances have rendered necessary, as a guide for the Student and the Amateur Collector of fossil remains; for the intelligent Observer who may desire to possess a general knowledge of the subject, without intending to pursue Geology as a science; and for the Tourist who may wish, in the course of his travels, to employ profitably a leisure hour in quest of those interesting memorials of the ancient physical revolutions of our globe, which he will find everywhere presented to his observation.

Crescent Lodge,
  Clapham Common,
    May, 1844.

ADDRESS TO THE READER.

Anxious that the "Courteous Reader" should derive from this work all the information it is designed to impart, the Author presumes to offer a few words in explanation of the plan upon which it has been constructed, and some suggestions as to the best means of rendering its contents most available to the varied tastes and pursuits of different classes of readers.

In its arrangement, a three-fold object was had in view; namely, in the first place, to present such an epitome of PalÆontology, the science which treats of the fossil remains of the ancient inhabitants of the Globe, as shall enable the intelligent Observer to comprehend the nature of the principal discoveries in modern Geology, and the method of investigation by which such highly interesting, and unexpected results, have been obtained..

Secondly, to assist the Collector in his search for Organic Remains,—directing attention to those objects which possess the highest interest, and are especially deserving of accurate examination—instructing him in the art of developing and preserving the specimens he may discover—and pointing out the means to be pursued, for ascertaining their nature, and their relation to existing plants or animals.

Thirdly, to place before the Student a familiar exposition of the elementary principles of PalÆontology, based upon a general knowledge of the structure of vegetable and animal organization; to excite in his mind a desire for further information, and prepare him for the perusal and study of works of a higher order than these unpretending volumes; and to point out the sources from which the required instruction may be derived.

Although fully aware of the imperfect manner in which these intentions are fulfilled, the Author hopes that the indulgence claimed by one of the most able writers of our times may be extended to him; and that, "if the design be good upon the whole, the work will not be censured too severely for those faults, from which, in parts, its very nature would scarcely allow it to be free."[1]

With regard to the best means of making use of these volumes, the advice of the great founder of Inductive Philosophy, on the Study of Books in general, expressed in the quotation prefixed to this address, is peculiarly applicable to the different classes of readers for whom the work is designed.

Thus, "the Book may be tasted, that is, read only in parts," by the intelligent reader, who requires but a general acquaintance with the subjects it embraces. The perusal of the introductory and concluding remarks of each chapter, of the general descriptions of fossil remains, and of the circumstances under which they occur,—omitting the scientific terms and descriptions,—and a cursory examination of the illustrations, will probably satisfy his curiosity; and the work may be transferred to the library for occasional reference, or taken as a travelling companion and guide to some interesting geological district.

But the Book "must be swallowed, that is, read, but not curiously," by the reader desirous of forming a collection of organic remains. A general acquaintance with its contents, and a careful investigation of the characters of the fossils, and comparison with the figures and descriptions, will be requisite to enable the amateur collector to determine the nature of the specimens he may discover.

By the Student the Book "must be digested, that is, read wholly, and with diligence and attention." He should fully comprehend one subject before he advances to the consideration of another, and should test the solidity of his knowledge by practical research. He should visit some of the localities described; collect specimens, and develope them with his own hands; examine their structure microscopically; nor rest satisfied until he has determined their general characters, and ascertained their generic and specific relations. Nor is this an arduous or irksome task; by a moderate degree of attention, a mind of average ability may quickly overcome the apparent difficulties, and will find in the knowledge thus acquired, and in the accession of mental vigour which such investigations never fail to impart, an ample reward for any expenditure of time and trouble.

It is, indeed, within the power of every intelligent reader, by assiduity and perseverance, to attain the high privilege of those who walk in the midst of wonders, in circumstances where the uninformed and uninquiring eye can perceive neither novelty nor beauty; and of being