Buffon-Natural History of Birds

The Earth:

Its Physical Condition and Most Remarkable Phenomena

by

W. Mullinger Higgins

Harper and Bros.

1858

This electronic edition prepared by Dr. David C. Bossard
from original documents in his personal library

December, 2009.

CONTENTS.

001 002 003 004 005 006 007 008 009 010 011 012 013 014 015 016 017 018

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 019 020 021 022

Objects of physical science -- divisions of science -- influence of theory -- personal advantages derived from science -- proofs of design -- knowledge raises the standard of happiness -- pleasures of investigation-harmony of natural agents -- application of science to the arts -- effects of scientific knowledge -- origin of the physical sciences -- importance of the mathematics -- education.

CHAPTER I: THE EARTH IN RELATION TO THE UNIVERSE. 023 024 025 026 027 028 029 030 031 032 033 034 035 036 037 038 039 040 041 042 043 044 045 046 047 048 049

The form and dimensions of the earth -- revolution of the earth on its axis -- theory of the formation of the earth -- centrifugal force -- the pendulum -- the fixed stars -- the planets -- force of gravity -- curvilinear motion -- magnitude and distance of the planets -- day and night.

CHAPTER II. CELESTIAL APPEARANCES. 050 051 052 053 054 055 056 057 058 059 060 061 062 063 064 065

Comets -- origin of astrology -- nebu1ae -- phases of the moon -- eclipses

CHAPTER IlL THE ATMOSPHERE AND ITS PHENOMENA. 066 067 068 069 070 071 072 073 074 075 076 077 078 079 080 081 082 083 084 085 086 087 088 089 090 091 092 093 094 095 096 097 098 099 100 101

Proofs of the existence of an atmosphere -- composition of air -- properties of the atmosphere -- transparency -- fluidity -- balloons -- expansibility of air -- pressure of the atmosphere -- barometers -- extent of the atmosphere -- air as aconductor of sound -- echoes -- wind

CHAPTER IV. ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENA DEFENDANT ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF HEAT. 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

Nature of heat -- dilatation by heat -- thermometers -- latent heat -- evaporation -- hygrometers -- clouds -- classification of clouds -- rain -- snow -- hail -- dew -- hoar-frost -- mist -- connexionof the sciences of heat and meteorology

CHAPTER V. PHENOMENA DEPENDANT ON THE DISTRIBUTION AND CONDITIONS OF LIGHT. 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

Production of light -- nature of light -- general facts -- -reflection -- refraction -- twilight -- mirage -- decomposition of
light by refraction -- decomposition of light by absorption -- colour of bodies -- colour of the clouds -- rainbow-- halo -- coronae -- parhelia -- the study of the science of optics

CHAPTER VI. PHENOMENA DEFENDANT ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRICITY. 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202

Identity of electricity and the agent that produces lightning -- effects of lightning -- circumstances under which lightning is produced -- thunder-clouds -- lightning-conductors -- electrical condition of the atmosphere -- aurora borealis -- St. Elmo's light

CHAPTER VII. PHENOMENA DEPENDANT ON TERRESTRIAL MAGNETISM. 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218

The loadstone -- magnetic attraction -- magnetic induction -- polarity and induction -- variation of the magnetic needle -- annual change of the variation -- diurnal change of the variation -- the dip -- origin of terrestrial magnetism

CHAPTER VIII. INTERIOR OF THE EARTH. 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321

Geological theories -- the crust of the earth -- general remarks -- the order of rocks -- stratification of rocks -- cleavage of rocks -- disturbed strata -- -- elevation or depression of strata -- classification of stratified rocks -- unstratified rocks -- granitic rocks -- trap -- rocks -- granitic and trap veins -- metallic veins -- coal measures -- organic remains -- reptiles -- fossilized remains of maminalia -- diluvian action -- superficial gravels -- boulders -- bone caverns -- formation of valleys -- temperature of the interior of the earth -- volcanoes -- active volcanoes -- phenomena resulting from volcanic activity -- volcanic islands -- earthquakes -- thermal springs -- theories of volcanic action -- generalremarks

CHAPTER IX. LAND AND WATER. 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388

Formation of land -- definitions -- continents -- mountains -- elevation of mountains -- M. de Beaumont's theory -- caverns -- springs -- glaciers -- rivers -- cascades and cateracts -- lakes -- the sea-level of the sea -- colour of the ocean -- phosphorescence of the sea -- temperature of the sea -- marine ice -- icebergs -- water-spouts -- waves -- tides -- currents -- chymical composition of substances -- elementary substances -- cohesion -- crystallization -- chymical attraction -- composition of water

CHAPTER X. SUPERFICIAL TEMPERATURE OF THE EARTH. 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408

The seasons -- mean temperature -- temperature of the sea -- climate -- temperature of the ancient earth -- conclusion