tertiary remains can anywhere be found, though the supply of sediment must for ages have been great, from the enormous degradation of the coast-rocks and from muddy streams entering the sea. The explanation, no doubt, is, that the littoral and sub-littoral deposits are continually worn away, as soon as they are brought up by the slow and gradual rising of the land within the grinding action of the coast-waves. |
We may, I think,
safely safely 1859 1860 1861 1866 | safely 1869 1872 |
conclude that sediment must be accumulated in extremely thick, solid, or extensive masses, in order to withstand the incessant action of the waves, when first upraised and during
subsequent subsequent 1859 1860 1861 1866 | successive 1869 1872 |
oscillations of
level. level. 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
level, as well as the subsequent subaerial degradation. 1869 1872 |
Such thick and extensive accumulations of sediment may be formed in two ways; either,
in profound depths of the sea, in which
case, case, 1859 1860 1861 1866 | case 1869 1872 |
judging from the rescarches of E. Forbes , we may conclude that judging from the rescarches of E. Forbes , we may conclude that 1866 |
judging from the researches of E. Forbes , we may conclude that 1859 1860 1861 |
OMIT 1869 1872 |
the bottom will
be be 1859 1860 1861 1866 | not be 1869 1872 |
inhabited by
few animals, few animals, 1861 1866 |
extremely few animals, 1859 1860 |
so many and such varied forms of life, as the more shallow seas; 1869 1872 |
but it will not be, as we now know from telegraphic and other deep soundings, barren of life; consequently the mass when upraised will give a most imperfect record of the forms of life which existed during the period of deposition. Or, but it will not be, as we now know from telegraphic and other deep soundings, barren of life; consequently the mass when upraised will give a most imperfect record of the forms of life which existed during the period of deposition. Or, 1866 |
and the mass when upraised will give a most imperfect record of the forms of life which then existed; or, 1859 1860 |
but it will not be, as we at last know from the telegraphic soundings, barren of life; consequently the mass when up-raised will give a most imperfect record of the forms of life which existed during the period of deposition. Or, 1861 |
and the mass when upraised will give an imperfect record of the organisms which existed throughout the world during the period of its accumulation. Or, 1869 |
and the mass when upraised will give an imperfect record of the organisms which existed in the neighbourhood during the period of its accumulation. Or, 1872 |
sediment may be
accumulated accumulated 1859 1860 1861 1866 | deposited 1869 1872 |
to any thickness and extent over a shallow bottom, if it continue slowly to subside. In this latter case, as long as the rate of subsidence and
supply supply 1859 1860 1861 1866 | the supply 1869 1872 |
of sediment nearly balance each other, the sea will remain shallow and favourable for
life, life, 1859 1860 1861 1866 | many 1869 1872 |
and
thus a thus a 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
varied forms, and thus a rich 1869 1872 |
rich fossiliferous rich fossiliferous 1861 1866 | fossiliferous 1859 1860 1869 1872 |
formation
thick enough, when upraised, to resist
almost any almost any 1866 | any 1859 1860 1861 | a large 1869 1872 |
amount of
degradation, degradation, 1859 1860 1861 1866 | denudation, 1869 1872 |
may be formed. |
I am convinced that all
our ancient formations, which are rich
in
fossils
,
fossils
,
1866 1872 | fossils, 1859 1860 1861 |
fossils,
1869 |
have thus been formed during subsidence. Since publishing my views on this subject in 1845, I have watched the progress of Geology, and have been surprised to note how author after author, in treating of this or that great formation, has come to the
|