251

INDEX

INDEX.

_________

Explanation of the Engravings - - - iii
Introductory Observations - - - 1
Plan - - - 3
First appearance of the earth - - - 4
First proofs of revolutions - - - 5
Proofs that these revolutions have been numerous - - - 8
Proofs that the revolutions have been sudden - - - 10
Proofs that there have been revolutions anterior to the existence of living
beings - - - 12
Examination of the causes which operate at present on the surface of the
globe - - - 17
The falling away of portions of the masses - - - 18
Alluvial deposites - - - 18
Downs - - - 20
Steep shores - - - 21
Deposites under the waters - - - 22
Stalactites - - - 22
Lytophytes - - - 23
Incrustations - - - 23
Volcanoes - - - 25
Constant astronomical causes - - - 26
Ancient systems of geologists - - - 27
The latest systems - - - 29
Opposition of all these systems - - - 31
Causes of these contradictions - - - 33
The nature and terms of the problem - - - 33
Reason why these preliminaries have been neglected - - - 35
Progress of mineral geology- - - - 35
Importance of fossils in geology - - -36
Paramount importance of the fossil bones of quadrupeds38
Litfle probability of finding new species of great quadrupeds - - - 40
The fossil bones of quadrupeds are difficult to determine 57
Principle of this determination - - - 58

252

INDEX

The general results of these researches - - - 66
Relations of the species with the strata - - - 67
The extinct species are not varieties of the living species 72
There are no fossil human bones - - - 81
Physical proofs of the newness of the present state of the Continent - - - 86
Lands gained by the perpetual deposite of alluvial matter by rivers - - -87
Extract from the 'Researches of M. de Prony, on the Hydraulic System of
Italy,' relative to the displacement of the banks of the Adriatic - - - 91
Progress of the downs - - - 100
Turf bogs and slips - - - 102
The history of nations confirms the newness of the continents- - - 103
The very remote antiquity attributed to some nations is not
historically true - - - 112
The astronomical monuments of the ancients have not the excessively
remote dates generally attributed to them 149
Table of the extent of the Zodiacal Constellations as they are drawn on our
Globes, and of the times which the colures employ in traversing them - -
- 158
Construction and use of the Table - - - 162
The Zodiac is far from bearing in itself an assured and very remote date - - -
173
Exaggerations with respect to certain operations in mines 179
General conclusion concerning the epoch of the last revolution- - -179
Ideas of researches to be still farther made in Geology - 180
Recapitulation of the observations on the succession of formations - - - 183
Table of Geological Formations in the order of their super
position - - - 187
Enumeration of the fossil animals detected by the author 190
Description of the bird called the Ibis by the ancient Egyptians- - - 222
Glossary - - - 247
Index - - - 251

THE END.

253

FIGURES

EXPLANATION OF THE ENGRAVINGS.

______________

Figure 1.

A Human Skeleton incrusted in the travertine of
Guadeloupe. It is on the right side, the skull and left
leg raised.
aThe left zygoma.
bThe lower jaw.
cAnterior portion of the omoplate.
dThe shoulder-bone.
ePart of the cubitus.
fPart of the radius.
gSome of the wrist and finger-bones.
hLeft os innominatum mutilated.
iThe thigh-bone.
kThe leg.
1The peroneum.
mmThe spine.
ooo The ribs.
pppShells incrusted in the rock.
N. B. — There is a skeleton of the same kind at the
British Museum.

Figure 2.

The upper jaw, palate and teeth, in fine
preservation, of the Anoplotherium Leporinum, found
in the plaster of Paris quaries of Montmartre; two-
thirds of the real size.

254

FIGURES

Figure 3 and 4.

Two jaws from the plaster of Paris quarry of
Montmartre, containing a portion of the Skeleton of a
Bat, the first discovered in these quarries. Fig. 3,
represents the back, in which are seen the relics of the
omoplates, head, humerus and radius cut
longitudinally, with a small part of the clavicules.
Fig. 4, the under part, in which are the lower jaw
teeth, portions of the vertebræ, clavicules, humerus
and radius, cut longitudinally.

Figure 5 and 6.

One side of the lower jaw of the narrow-toothed
Mastodon, found in the estate of M.le Comte de
Breuner. It is here drawn rather more than a thirteenth
of its real size.

Figure 7.

Skeleton of the Ibis.

Figure 8.

The Numenius Ibis. Letters a b crefer to the
variations of the feathers alluded to in the work.

Figure 9.

An outline of the Ibis, drawn from an Egyptian
monument.

Figure 10.

A beak of a mummy Ibis, discovered by M. Olivier.

PLATE 1

PLATE 2

PLATE 3

PLATE 4

Skeleton of the IBIS

THIS PLATE IS MISSING FROM THE TEXT

PLATE 5

PLATE 6