THE MEDALS OF CREATION;

OR,

FIRST LESSONS IN GEOLOGY,

AND IN THE STUDY OF


ORGANIC REMAINS

BY

GIDEON ALGERNON MANTELL, LL.D., F.R.S.

AUTHOR OF THE WONDERS OF GEOLOGY, ETC.


logo

 
       "Voilà! une nouvelle espèce de médallion, beaucoup plus importantes, et incomparablement plus anciennes, que toutes celles des Grecs et des Romains!"
Knorr, Monuments des catastrophes


LONDON:

HENRY G. BOHN

1844

1016 pages, illustrated with 167 figures and 6 plates.

This electronic edition prepared by Dr. David C. Bossard
from the original documents in the holdings of Dartmouth College.

February, 2006.

Copyright © 2006 by Dr. David C. Bossard.  All rights reserved.

TITLEPAGES: Volume I  Volume II

CONTENTS.

VOLUME I.

DEDICATION TO CHARLES LYELL  v   v  vi

PREFACE  vii   vii  viii  ix

SUPERSCRIPT (Sir H. Davy)  x  x

ADDRESS TO THE READER  xi  xi  xii  xiii  xiv

CONTENTS xv  xv  xvi  xvii  xviii

DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES xix - xxvii  xix  xx  xxi  xxii  xxiii  xxiv  xxv  xxvi  xxvii

INTRODUCTION   001  002  003  004  005  006  007  008  009

PRELIMINARY REMARKS   010  011  012  013  014  015  016  017  018

on the plan of the work and the arrangement of the subjects it embraces, 10.
Works of reference, 10-14.
List of subjects, 15, 16.
Lignographs illustrative of Fossil Botany, 17.

CHAPTER I 

 019  020  021  022  023  024  025  026  027  028  029

On the nature and arrangement of the British strata, and their fossil contents, 19.  Rocks composed of animal remains, 21.
 
CHAPTER II  

030  031  032  033  034  035  036  037  038  039  040  041  042  043  044  045  046  047 048  049

Tabular arrangement of the British formations, 30-48.
Geographical distribution of the strata in England, 48.

CHAPTER III 

050  051  052  053  054  055  056  057  058  059  060  061  062

On the nature of Organic Remains, 50.

CHAPTER IV 

 063  064  065  066  067  068  069  070  071  072  073  074  075  076  077  078  079  080

On Fossil Vegetables, 63.  Vegetable organization, 66. Mode of investigating fossil stems, 72; and fossil leaves, 75. Microscopical examination of fossil vegetables, 76.

CHAPTER V

 081  082  083  084  085  086  087  088  089  090  091  092  093  094  095  096  097  098  099  100  101

On peat-wood, lignite, and coal,. 81.
On coal, 90.
Stratification of a coal-field, 94.

CHAPTER VI

 102  103  104  105  106  107  108  109  110  111  112  113  114  115  116  117  118  119  120  121  122  123  124  125  126  127  128  129  130  131  132  133  134  135  136  137  138  139  140  141  142  143  144  145  146  147  148  149  150  151  152  153  154  155  156  157  158  159  160  161  162  163  164  165  166  167  168  169  170  171  172  173  174  175  176  177  178  179  180  181  182  183  184  185  186  187  188  189  190  191  192  193  194  195  196  197  198  199  200  201  202  203  204  205  206  207  208  209  210  211  212  213  214

Fossil botany, 102.  Cellulosae, 103,  Equisetum, 107. Calamites, 109.  FERNS, 111.  Pachypteris, 114.  Sphenopteris, 115.  Cyclopteris, 116.  Neuropteris, 117.  Glossopteris, 117.  Odontopteris, 118 Anomopteris, 119.  Toeniopteris, 120, Pecoptris. 121. Lonchopteris, 122. Phlebopteris, 123. Clathropteris, 124. Caulopteris, 126. Sigillaria, 129. Stigmaria, 139. Lepidodendron, 144. Lepidostrobus, 148. Halonia, 150. Knorria, 151. Sternbergia, 151. Asterophyllites, 152. Cardiocarpon, 153. Trigonocarpum, 154. CYCADEAE, 155. Zamia, 157. Pterophyllum, 158. Mantellia, 159. Fruits of Cycadeae, 160. CONIFERAE, 162. Araucaria, 163. Coniferous wood, 165-171. Paudanus, 172. PALMACITES, 172. Endogenites, 174. Isle of Sheppey fruits, 175-181. Liliaceae, 181. Clathraria Lyellii, 182. Chara, 187. Nymphea, 187. Flowering Dicotyledons, 189. Leaves, 193. Fossil fruits, 194. Carpolithes Smithiae, 196. Dicotyledonous stems, 196. Retrospect, 198. On collecting fossil plants, 203. British localities of vegetable fossils 205.

[133] The most remarkable instance [of erect fossil trees] is on the southern shore of the Bay of Fundy, in Nova Scotia, where the cliffs, which are about two hundred feet high, are composed of carboniferous strata, consisting of coal, clay, grit, and shale, in which numerous erect trees, probably Sigillariae, are seen on the face of the cliff; there are ten rows one above another, indicating, observes Mr. Lyell, repeated subsidences of the land, so as to allow the growth of ten successive forests!


PART II. -- PALAEONTOLOGY, 211.


CHAPTER VII

 215  216  217  218  219  220  221  222  223  224  225  226  227  228  229  230  231  232  233  234  235  236  237  238  239  240  241  242  243  244  245  246  247

Fossil animalcules, 215. Recent infusoria, 216. Fossil infusoria, 221. Polierschiefer, 223. Richmond infusorial earth, 224. Animalculites of the Chalk, 228. Polythalamia, 232. Fossil pyxidlicula, 238. Xanthidium, 239. Nummulites, 242. Microscopical examination of Chalk, &c. 244.

CHAPTER VIII

 248  249  250  251  252  253  254  255  256  257  258  259  260  261  262  263  264  265  266  267  268  269  270  271  272  273  274  275  276  277  278  279  280  281  282  283  284  285  286  287  288  289  290  291  292  293  294  295  296  297  298  299  300  301  302  303  304  305  306  307  308  309  310

Fossil zoophytes, 248. Amorphozoa, 249. Spongites, 252. Faringdon sponges, 255. Siphonia, 258. Choanites, 203. Paramoudra, 268. Polyparia, 269. Ventriculites, 272. Ocellaria, 279. Flustra, 281. Eschara, 283. Crisia, 285. Retepora, 286. Fenestella, 287. Millepora, 287. Idmonea, 288. Verticillipora, 290. Lunulites. 290. Graptolithes, 290. Fungia, 293. Turbinolia, 294. Caryophyllia, 294. Favosites, 295. Catenipora, 296. Syringopora, 297. Lithostrotion, 297. Cyathophyllum, 297. Astrea, 299. Madrepora, 302. Lithodendron, 303. Geological distribution of fossil Zoophytes, 304. On collecting fossil Corals, 307. Localities, 309.

CHAPTER IX

 311  312  313  314  315  316  317  318  319  320  321  322  323  324  325  326  327  328  329  330  331

Fossil Echinoderma, 311. Crinoidea, 312.

CHAPTER X

 332  333  334  335  336  337  338  339

Fossil Star-fishes, 332.

CHAPTER XI

 340  341  342  343  344  345  346  347  348  349  350  351  352  353  354  355  356  357  358  359  360  361  362

Fossil Echinid, or Sea-Urchins, 340. On collecting fossil Echinoderma, 358.

CHAPTER XII

 363  364  365  366  367  368  369  370  371  372  373  374  375  376  377  378  379  380  381  382  383  384  385  386  387  388  389  390  391  392  393  394  395  396  397  398  399  400  401  402  403  404  405  406  407  408  409  410  411  412  413  414  415  416  417  418  419  420  421  422  423  424  425  426  427  428  429  430  431  432  433  434  435  436  437  438  439  440  441  442  443  444  445  446  447  448  449

Fossil shells, 363. Mollusca, 365. Fossil bivalve shells, 370. Shelly Septaria, 372. Recent shelly conglomerate, 374-377. Brachiopoda, 378. Lamellibranchia, 384. Monomyaria, 285. Dimyaria, 397. Fresh-water bivalves, 408. Gasteropoda, 412. Fresh-water univalves, 416. Marine univalves, 420. Spherulites, 428. Molluskite, 431. Geological Distribution of Shells, 436. On collecting Fossil Shells, 442. British Localities of Fossil Shells, 445.

INDEX OF VOL. I.

 450  451  452  453  454  455  456

VOLUME II.

CHAPTER XIII

 457  458  459  460  461  462  463  464  465  466  467  468  469  470  471  472  473  474  475  476  477  478  479  480  481  482  483  484  485  486  487  488  489  490  491  492  493  494  495  496  497  498  499  500  501  502  503  504  505  506  507  508  509  510  511  512  513  514  515  516  517

Fossil Cephalopoda, comprising the Belemnitidae, Nautilidae, and Ammonitidae, 460. Dibranchiate Cephalopoda, 462. Belemnite, 464. Belemnitella, 472. Beloptera, 475. Fossil Calamary, 475. Bellerophon, 476. Nautili, 478. Orthoceras, 484. Ammonites, 487. Goniatites, 494. Pseudo-ammonites, 495. Crioceras, 497. Hamites, 490. Baculites, 500. Scaphites, 501. Turrilites, 503. Geological distribution of Cephalopoda, 506. On collecting Cephalopoda, 510. British localities, 514.

CHAPTER XIV

 518  519  520  521  522  523  524  525  526  527  528  529  530  531  532  533  534  535  536  537  538  539  540  541  542  543  544  545  546  547  548  549  550  551  552  553  554  555  556  557  558  559  560  561  562  563  564  565  566  567  568  569  570  571  572  573  574  575  576  577  578  579  580  581  582  583  584  585  586

Fossil Articulata, 518. Cirripedia, 519. Balanus, 521. Pollicipes, 521. Annelida, 522. Serpula, 525. Crustacea, 526. Crabs, 530. Lobsters and Craw-fish, 536. Astacus Leachii, 536. Isopoda, 542. Fossil Cyprides, 545. Limulus, 550. Trilobites, 552. Geological distribution of Trilobites, 563. On collecting Crustaceans, 566. British localities, 568. Fossil Insects, 570. Scorpion, 572. Neuroptera, 574. Beetles, 577. Curculio, 579. Fossil Insects of Aix, 581; of Oeningen, 582. Fossil Phryganea, 582. On collecting Fossil insects, 584. Gigantic Crustacean, 585. Animalcules in Cirripedes, 586.

CHAPTER XV

 587  588  589  590  591  592  593  594  595  596  597  598  599  600  601  602  603  604  605  606  607  608  609  610  611  612  613  614  615  616  617  618  619  620  621  622  623  624  625  626  627  628  629  630  631

Fossil Ichthyology, 587. Scales of Fishes, 593. Classification of M. Agassiz, 595. Fins of Fishes, 596. Teeth of Fishes, 597. Skeletons of Fishes, 601. Tails of Fishes, 603. Ichthyodorulites, 605. Spines of Hybodus, 609. Fossil Teeth of Fishes, 611. Teeth of Sharks, 612. Acrodus, 614. Ptychodus, 616. Psammodus, 617. Ceratodus 618. Chimaera, 619. Hybodus, 621. Carcharias, 623. Hemipristis, 624. Lamna, 624. Notidanus, 626. Galeus, 626. Vertebrae of Sharks, 627. Squaloraia, 628. Fossil Rays, 630.

CHAPTER XVI

 632  633  634  635  636  637  638  639  640  641  642  643  644  645  646  647  648  649  650  651  652  653  654  655  656  657  658  659  660  661  662  663  664  665  666  667  668  669  670  671  672  673  674  675  676  677  678  679  680  681  682  683

Fossil Ichthyology; Ganoid, Ctenoid, and Cycloid fishes, 632.

CHAPTER XVII

 684  685  686  687  688  689  690  691  692  693  694  695  696  697  698  699  700  701  702  703  704  705  706  707  708  709  710  711  712  713  714  715  716  717  718  719  720  721  722  723  724  725  726  727  728

Fossil Reptiles: Enaliosaurians and Crocodiles, 684,

CHAPTER XVIII

 729  730  731  732  733  734  735  736  737  738  739  740  741  742  743  744  745  746  747  748  749  750  751  752  753  754  755  756  757  758  759  760  761  762  763  764  765  766  767  768  769  770  771  772  773  774  775  776  777  778  779  780  781  782  783  784  785  786  787  788  789  790  791  792  793  794

Fossil Reptiles; comprising the Dinosaurians, Pterodactyles, Turtles, Serpents, and Batrachians, 729.

CHAPTER XIX

 795  796  797  798  799  800  801  802  803  804  805  806  807  808  809  810  811  812  813  814  815  816  817  818  819

Fossil Birds, 795.  Figure 151 (after page 815)

CHAPTER XX

 820  821  822  823  824  825  826  827  828  829  830  831  832  833  834  835  836  837  838  839  840  841  842  843  844  845  846  847  848  849  850  851  852  853  854  855  856  857  858  859  860  861  862  863  864  865  866  867  868  869  870  871

Fossil Mammalia, 820.

RETROSPECT  872  873  874  875  876

OWEN'S CLASSIFICATION OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM   877

INDEX OF ILLUSTRATIONS   878  879 


PART III. -- GEOLOGICAL EXCURSIONS

NOTES ON EXCURSIONS, IN ILLUSTRATION OF THE MODE OF INVESTIGATING GEOLOGICAL PHENOMENA, AND OF COLLECTING ORGANIC REMAINS

CHAPTER XXI.

 883  884  885  886  887  888  889  890  891  892

General Instructions for the Collection of Specimens of Rocks and Fossils, 885.

CHAPTER XXII

 893  894  895  896  897  898  899  900  901  902  903  904  905  906  907

Excursions illustrative of the Geological Character and Organic Remains of the Tertiary Deposits of the London Basin, 893. Excursion to the Isle of Sheppey, 895. Excursion to Braklesham Bay, 902. Notes for an Excursion to examine the Tertiary Strata of the Isle of Wight, 906.






CHAPTER XXIII

 908  909  910  911  912  913  914  915  916  917  918  919  920  921

Notes for a Geological Excurion from London to Brighton, 908.  A Stroll from Brighton to Rottingdean, 913.

CHAPTER XXIV

 922  923  924  925  926  927  928  929  930  931  932

Geological Notes of various Places on the Line of the Great Western Railway; illustrative of the Oolite, Lias, &c. from London to Clifton, 922. Faringdon, 923. Swindon, 927. CaIne and Chippenham, 928. Bath and Bristol, 929. Clifton, 929.

CHAPTER XXV

 933  934  935  936  937  938  939  940  941  942  943  944  945  946  947  948  949  950  951  952  953  954  955  956  957  958  959  960  961  962  963  964  965  966  967  968  969  970  971  972  973

Excursion to Matlock and its Vicinity, 933. A Walk to the Incrusting Springs, 940. Visit to the Cavern of the High Tor, 944. Excursion to Crich Hill, 951. Notes for a Geological Excursion by Bonsai Valley and Wirksworth, to MiddLeton Moor and Stonnis, 968.

CHAPTER XXVI

 974  975  976  977  978  979  980  981  982  983  984  985  986  987  988  989  990

Notes for a Geological Excursion to Charnwood Forest; by Leicester, Mount Sorel, SwithLand and Woodhouse, and Bardon Hill to Whitwick, 974. List of Dealers in Fossils and Minerals, &c. 986.

INDEXES.  991
 
Index of Scientific Names,  991  992  993  994  995  996  997
Index of Places,  998  999  1000  1001  1002
General Index,   1003  1004  1005  1006  1007  1008  1009  1010  1011  1012  1013  1014  1015  1016.




PLATES

NOTE: High Resolution (400 ppi) images of all figures and plates are located here.

Descriptions of the Plates: 
xix  xx  xxi  xxii  xxiii  xxiv  xxv  xxvi  xxvii


#
Click for plate at 100 ppi
I


Frontispiece of Volume I:  A Fern -- A Crustacean --
A Fish -- Lower Jaw of a Hyena -- An Ammonite.

Plate at 200 ppi

II


Frontispiece of Volume II: A Fossil Fish of the Salmon Tribe.
Sequence to show Fossil Preparation.  See pg. xxvii.

Plate at 200 ppi

III


Incrustations, and Fossil Plants

Plate at 200 ppi

IV


Species of Living Infusoria.
See pages 217-220.

Plate at 200 ppi

V


Organization of Fossil Vegetables.

Plate at 200 ppi

VI


Structure of Fossil Teeth.

Plate at 200 ppi