New-York tribune., 1879-08-29
PROFESSOR MAReHs ADDRESS.

In the rapid progress of knowledge are con.
stantly brought face to face with the question:
What is LIfeP The answer is not yet, but q
thousand earnest seekers afior truth seem 10 DO
slowly approaching a solution. This question gives
a new interest 60 every department of science that
relates to life in any form, and the history Of life
offers q most suggestive field for research One lire
of investigation lies through embryolOgy, aud
here the advance is most encouraging. Another
promising path leads back through the life history
of the globe and in this direction may hope for
Increasing iglt IS a reward for patient work.
The plants and animals now living on the earth
interest alike the savage and the sayant, and hence
have been carefully observed in every age Of hui
man history. The life of the remote past, however,
is preserved only in scanty records, buried IN tho
earth and therefore readily escapes attention. For
these reasons the study OF ancient life is of the
latest Of modern sciences and among the most diff
cult In view Of the great advances which this de-
partment Of knowledge has made within the lasb
decade. especially in tins country, have thought
it fitting to the present occasion to review briefly
its development, and have chosen for my subject
this evening, The History and Methods-of Paeon-
tological Discovery.
In the short time now at my command, can only
attempt to present rapid sketch Of the principal
steps the progress of this science. The literature
Of the subject, especially IN connection with the
discussions it provoked is yolumInous aud OUT
line Of the history itself suffice for my present
purpose. In looking over the records of PaGontol-
ogy its history may conveniently be divided into
four periods, well marked by prominent fea-
lures, but, like all stages of intellectual
growth, without definite boundaries. The hrsb
period dating back TO the time when men first
noticed fossil remains In the rocks, and queried
to their nature, Is of special interest ia this
Tbo oho ie of
period was a long and bitter contest TO the
ture of fossil remains. Were they mere sports Of
Nature" or mad they once been endowed with life
Simple as this problem now seems centuries passed
before the wise men of that time were agreed upon
its solution. Sea shells In the solid rock on tho
tops of mountains early attracted the attention OF
the ancents and the learned men among them seem
to have appreciated in some instances their true
character, and given rational explanations OF theic
presence.
Aristotle (384-322 B. c. was not only aware Of
the existence of fossils in rocks but has also placed
on record sagaclous views to the changes in thu
earth's surface necessary to account for them. In
the second book of his Meteorcs, he says! " The
changes of the Garth are so slow IN comparison ia
the duration Of our lives, that they overlooked.
| and the migratiOns of people after great catas'
trophies and their removal to other regions, clusa
the event to be forgotten" Again. IN the sbme
work. be saysi "As time never fails, and the uni'
verse is eternal neither the TanaIs the Nile
have flowed forever. The places where they rise
were once dry, and there is limit 70 their operas
tions but there is to time. So of all othei
rivers they spring up. and they perishi and thu
sea also continually deserts some lands and nvadei
Others The same tracts therefore, of the earth
net some always sea, and Others always continents,
but everything changes in the Of time" +'
Tho Romans added but little the know ledla
possessed by the Greeks in regard TO fossil remains.
Phny (23-79 A d., however, seems TO have exam.
ined such objects with interest, and IN bis re,
nowned work on Natural History gave names 10
several forms. He doubtless borrowed largely from
Theophrastus. who wrote about 300 years before,
Among the objects named by Pny were, "BUcdrdid,
like TO an ox's heaft y; "Br0nid. resembling tue
head Of a tortoise supposed to fall m thundet
storms; "GlOssOptrd, similar to a human tongue,
which does not grow in the earth. but
falls from heaven while the moon is
eclipsed'; the Horn Of ABlmOn, possessing, with
golden color, the figure Of rams noru Z
Cerauna and On,b,id, supposed to be thunderboltsi
Ostracites bling The oyster shell hpOH0i'es,
having the form of sponge; Pkycites, resembling
sea-weed or rushes. He also mentions stones re-
sembllng the teeth of hippopotamus; and save that
Theophrastns speaks of fossil ivory, both black and
white. of bones born I'm the earth, and OF stones
bearing the figure of bones. Terullian Q60A. d.
mentions instances of the remains OF sea animals ol
the mountains, far from the sea- but uses them as
proof of the general deluge recorded IN Scripture.
THE BEGINNING OF FOSSIL STUDY.
During the next thirteen OF fourteen centuries
fossil remains of animals and plants seemed 70 have
attracted so little attention that few references
made to them by the writers Of his period. Daring
these ag' of darkness. all departments Of knOwl.
edge suffered alike and feeble repetItIOns of ideas
derived from the ancieLts seem TO have been about
the only contributions Of that period 20 natural
science.
With the beginning Of the sixteenth century,
great impetus given TO the investigation Of
organic fossils, especially in Italy, where tins study
really began The discovery Of fossil shells. which
abound IN this region. attracted great atten.
tiou and a fierce discussion arose as 10 the
true nature Of these and other remains. The idea
of Aristotle in regard to spontaneous generation,
and especially his view Of the hidden forces of the
earth which be claimed had power TO produce such
remains now for the first time were seriously qurs-
toned although II was not TIL nearly TWO centuries
later that these doctrines lost their dominant in.
huence.
Leonardo da yinci. the renowned painter and
philosopher, who was born In 1882. strongly oD-
posed the commonly accepted opinions as To the
origin of organized fossils. He claimed that tho
fossil shells unDer discussion were what thsy
seemed, and had once lived at the bottom OF the
sea. "You tell me- he SAYS, that Nature aud the
influence of the stars have formed these shells ia
the mountains; then show me place in the nouns
taus where the STAR at the present day make shelly
forms of different ages, and Of different species IN
tLe same place" Again he says. " In what manner
can sucn cause account for the petrlfastons y
the same place OF various leaves, sea-weeds and
marine crabsP
In 1917, excavations in the vicinity Of Verona
brought TO hight many curious petrfactions, which
led to much speculation TO their nature and Ogi-
gin. Among the various authors VINO wrote on thus
subject was tracas tOrO who declared that the fOs-
slls once 3, ionged TO living animals, winch had
lived and multiplied where found. lie ridicuied