New-York tribune., 1879-08-29
rronbetic genius. half century in advance of his

tant results for PalGOntology IT'S ReologchI STU III
ture was being worked out with great care NC
rcsnlts appeaTed in n volume by Cuvler ana hieN
Brongniart chiefly the work OF the latter puDIsncu
IN 1903. This was the trst systematic hses.iEG .
was issued in more extended form. Ihe separate
forrlations were here carefully dlStingulshed Dy
their fossils the true Importance oi which LOT Ihis
nurpose hcing distinctly recognized. This advance
was rot accepted without some opposition, and -
an interesting fact that jameson, who claimed for
Werner the theory here put IL practice, rejected
its application. and wrote as follows: " 10 Cuvler
ard BrOugniart we are indebted Tor much valuable
information in their description ot the country
around Paris. hut we must protest against the use
they have made of fossil organic remains ~ their
geognostical descriptions and Investigations"
William Smith tl7G9-1s39l, the father of Eng
lsh Geolopy,D had previously published " Tabular
View of the British Strata He appears to have
arrived Independently at essentially the same view
Werner in regard to the relative position OF STRAIT
flied rocks. He had determined that the order OF
succession was constant, and that the dinerent
formations might be identified at dlstant points
by the fossils they contained. In his later works
Strata identified by Organized Fossils pub,
lished in 1S16J2O and &" Stratigraphical System OF
Organlzed Fossils" 1917, he gave to the world
results or many years OF careful INVESTIGATIONS ou
the Secondary formations of England. In the latter
work he speaks Of the success of his method m
determining strata by their fossils az follows; NV
original method of tracing the strata by the organ
lied fossils imbedded therein, is thus reduced 10 a
science not difficult TO learn. Ever since the MIST
written account Of this discovery was circulated IN
1893, 1t has been closely investigated DY my scen
tlnC acqualntanceS IN the NlClDlt vi DFth' a'iho
whom search the Quarrcs of different stratain that
district with much certainty OF finding the cnar-
acterstic fossils of the respective rocks as il lDey
were on the shelves of their cabinets 100,
William Bnckland l7S4-1S3G published In 1873
his celebrated "Reliquig Diuvian8,' IN winch he
gave the result of his own observations III regard
to the animal remains found in the caves, hssIlreS
and alluYla PTavels Of England. facts presented
are OF great value, and the work was long q model
for similar researches. Bucklands conclusions
were that none of the human remains discovered IN
the caves were as old as the extinct manmals
found with them. and that the Deluge was uniYer-
sal. In speaking of fossil bones found IN the NINA %
laya Mountains, he says The occurrence of these
bones at such an enormous elevation IN the region
Of eternal snow, and consequently IN spotnow un-
treqqented by such animals as the morse anu h ueea
to be of anteduyan origin, and that the carcasses
of the animals were drifted TO their present place
and lodged in sand by the diuviai waters
The foundation of the Geological Society or
London" in 1907 marks an important point IN the
history of Paeontoogy. To carefully c3liect
materials for future congratulations, was the OBJECT
in view, and this organization gradna.y osGi'He I m
the centre In Great Britain for those interested III
geological science. The society was hooIp ~, ~
1896, and has since been the Leading or'ahlHasIoI
in Europe for the Advancement OF the 5ClehceS
within its field. The Geological Society OF france'
established at Paris in 1S32, and the German @ ueo-
logical Society founded IN Berlin IN 1915 nave
likewise contributed largely TO geological lhVtS9l-
cations in these countries, and TO somo eXtent III
other parts of the world. In ths io ~
Will find mine Of valuable materials ior MS
work
LOUIS AGAsSIZ-owEN.
The impetus given by Cuvier to the study of YER
tebrate fossils extended over Europe, and great
efforts were made to continue discoveries in the di-
rection he had so admirably pointed ont
Louis Agassiz 1SO7l73l, n pupil of Cuvier, and
long an honored member of this association, at
taned eminence in the study Of ancient as well a. oi
recent life. His great work on Fossil Fishes de
l. Ogsa
Tho latter contained mainly fossil mammals and
reptiles while the fishes wero left without histo-
riap tll AgaSsiZ began his Investigations HIS
studies had admirably fitted him for the task, ana
his industry brought together vast array OF IaclS
bearing on the subject The value or tins grand
work consists not only IN its faithful descriptions
and plates but also in the moro profound results 10
contained AgassiZ first showed that there IS a cor
respondence between the succession of fishes in the
rocks and their embryonal development. This Is
now thought 10 be one Of the strongest points In
favor of evolution although its author interpreted
the facts as bearing the Other way.
PaHder's memoirs on the fossil hShcs OF Russia
form worthy supplement- 60 Agassizs classic work.
Brandts publications are likewise OF great value
and those Of Lund in Sweden, have an especial IN
terest to Americans in consequence OF his researches
in the caves of Brazil
Basin excited great interest in England and when
il was found that the same Tertiary strata existed
in the south of England, careful search was made
for vertebrate fossils. Remains Of some Of tha
same genera described by Cuyler were soon dis
covered, and other extinct animals new 10 science
were found III various paris Oh the he hlneunl'
KONG to whom owo the name Ichthyosdurus'
and COnybeare, who gave the generic dtsig-
nation PlesiOSGurus and also W0SGsdWdS were
among the earliest writers in England on
fossil reptiles. The dizcoYery OF these three
extinct types and the discussion TO their
nature forms a most interesting chapter In the an
mails of PalROntOlOgv. The discovery of the IgddnO-
don by Mautell and the Megai0sdarHs by Buckland
excited still higher interest. These great reptiles
differed much more widely from living forms than
the mammals described by CuyieT and the period
in which they lived Soon became known as the age
of Reptles" The subsequent researches of these
authors added largely to the existing knowledge of
various extinct forms and their writings did much
to arouse public interest in the subject.
Richard Owen. pupil of Cuyier. followed, and
brought TO bear upon the subject an extensive
knowledge of comparative anatomy, and Wide
acquaintance with existing forms. His cOntrlbu-
tons have enriched almost every department of
PaROntoogy, aud Of extinct vertebrates especially,
he has been, since Cuyier the chef historian. Inc
fossil reptiles of England he has systematically de-
scIibed as well as those of Sonth Africa. The eX-
tinct StruthiOus birds Oi New Zealand he has made
known To science, and accurately described IN eX-
tended memoirs. His researches on the fossil mann
mails of Great Britain, the extinct Ldentatcs OF
South America. and the ancient NdrSnplaIs oi Aus
trala, each forms an important chapter in the his
tory of our science
IL NAV be interesting here to note briefly tho use
of general terms in PalaOntology, as the gradual
progress of the science indicated TO some extent
in us ternnolOgy. AT first and for a long tIme the
name " fossil was appropriately used Tor objects
dug from the earth. both minerals and organic re-
mains. The term OTyctOlOgy" having essentially
the same meaning was also used Tor TINS branch OF
study. For long period, too, the termination
cites (ih0s, stOnel applied TO fossils to dis
tinguish them from the corresponding living forms;
as for instance, OstTacites,' used by Pliny. At
later GATE the general name i" figured stones LAP
idos fJtyddl was extensively used; aud less
frequently, Deluge stones" (iapides diuUidRi.
The term " organized fossils was used 70 dIstin-
guish fossils from minerals, when the real differ
enco became known, although the name "ReliqmBp
was sometimes employed. he term " petrfactOns"
6cyf1l lyyps laf cd nv la
on fossils IL l75S, and was afterward extensively
used. PalBOntology is comparatively u modern
term, having come into use only within the last
half century 1t was introduced about 1890 and
soon WAS genelallY adopted III Erance and Enrland-