Principles of Geology / or, The Modern Changes of the Earth and its Inhabitants Considered as Illustrative of Geology

by Sir Charles Lyell

ANALYSIS OF THE CONTENTS

OF

THE PRINCIPLES OF GEOLOGY.

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BOOK I. (Chapters I. to XIII.)

historical sketch of the progress of geology, with a series of essays to show that the monuments of the ancient state of the earth and its inhabitants, which this science interprets, can only be understood by a previous acquaintance with terrestrial changes now in progress, both in the organic and inorganic worlds.

CHAPTER I
Geology defined—Its relation to other Sciences	Page 1
CHAPTER II.
Oriental and Egyptian Cosmogonies—Doctrines of the Greeks and Romans bearingon Geology	[4]
CHAPTER III.
Historical progress of Geology—Arabian Writers—Italian, French, German, andEnglish geologists before the 19th century—Physico-theological school	[17]
CHAPTER IV.
Werner and Hutton—Modern progress of the science	[46]
CHAPTER V.
Prepossessions in regard to the duration of past time, and other causes which haveretarded the progress of Geology	[61]
CHAPTER VI.
Agreement of the ancient and modern course of nature considered—Changes ofclimate	[73]
CHAPTERS VII. VIII.
Causes of vicissitudes in climate, and their connection with changes in physicalgeography	[92], [114]
CHAPTER IX.
Theory of the progressive development of organic life at successive periods considered—Modernorigin of Man	[130]
CHAPTER X
Supposed intensity of aqueous forces at remote periods—Erratic blocks—Deluges	[153]
CHAPTER XI.
Supposed former intensity of the igneous forces—Upheaval of land—Volcanic action	[160]
CHAPTER XII.
Causes of the difference in texture of older and newer rocks—Plutonic and Metamorphic.action	[175]
CHAPTER XIII.
Supposed alternate periods of repose and disorder—Opposite doctrine, which refersgeological phenomena to an uninterrupted series of changes in the organic and inorganicworld, unattended with general catastrophes, or the development of paroxysmalforces	[180]

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BOOK II. (Chapters XIV. to XXXII.)

observed changes in the inorganic world now in progress: first, the effects of aqueous causes, such as rivers, springs, glaciers, waves, tides, and currents; secondly, of igneous causes, or subterranean heat, as exhibited in the volcano and the earthquake.

CHAPTER XIV.
Aqueous causes—Excavating and transporting power of rivers	[198]
CHAPTER XV
Carrying power of river-ice—Glaciers and Icebergs	[219]
CHAPTER XVI.
Phenomena of springs	[232]
CHAPTER XVII
Reproductive effects of rivers—Deltas of lakes and inland seas	[251]
CHAPTER XVIII.
Deltas of the Mississippi, Ganges, and other rivers exposed to tidal action	[263]
CHAPTERS XIX. XX. XXI.
Denuding, transporting, and depositing agency of the waves, tides, andcurrents—Waste of sea-cliffs on the coast of England—Delta of theRhine—Deposition of sediment under the influence of marine currents	[290], [321], [337]
CHAPTER XXII.
Observed effects of igneous causes—Regions of active volcanoes	[344]
CHAPTERS XXIII. XXIV.
History of the volcanic eruptions of the district round Naples—Structure ofVesuvius—Herculaneum and Pompeii	[360], [375]
CHAPTER XXV.
Etna—Its eruptions—Structure and antiquity of the cone	[396]
CHAPTER XXVI.
Volcanoes of Iceland, Mexico, the Canaries, and Grecian Archipelago—Mudvolcanoes	[424]
CHAPTER XXVII.
Earthquakes and the permanent changes attending them	[451]
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Earthquake of 1783 in Calabria	[471]
CHAPTER XXIX.
Elevation and subsidence of dry land, and of the bed of the sea duringearthquakes—Evidence of the same afforded by the Temple of Serapis near Naples	[493]
CHAPTER XXX.
Elevation and subsidence of land in regions free from volcanoes andearthquakes—Rising of land in Sweden	[519]
CHAPTERS XXXI. XXXII.
Causes of earthquakes and volcanoes—Theory of central fluidity of theearth—Chemical theory of volcanoes—Causes of permanent upheaval anddepression of land	[533], [545]

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BOOK III. (Chapters XXXIII to L.)

observed changes of the organic world now in progress; first, nature and geographical distribution of species, and theories respecting their creation and extinction; secondly, the influence of organic beings in modifying physical geography; thirdly, the laws according to which they are imbedded in volcanic, freshwater, and marine deposits.

CHAPTERS XXXIII. XXXIV. XXXV. XXXVI.
Whether species have a real existence in nature—Theory of transmutation ofspecies—Variability of species—Phenomena of hybrids in animals and plants	[566], [578], [591], [600]
CHAPTER XXXVII.
Laws which regulate the geographical distribution of species—Distinct provinces ofpeculiar species of plants—Their mode of diffusion	[612]
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Distinct provinces of peculiar species of animals—Distribution and dispersion ofquadrupeds, birds, and reptiles	[629]
CHAPTER XXXIX.
Geographical distribution and migrations of fish—Of testacea—Of zoophytes—Ofinsects—Geographical distribution and diffusion of the human race	[646]
CHAPTER XL.
Theories respecting the original introduction of species—Reciprocal influence ofspecies on each other	[665]
CHAPTERS XLI. XLII.
Extinction of species—How every extension of the range of a species alters the conditionof many others—Effect of changes of climate	[677], [689]
CHAPTER XLIII.
Creation of species—Whether the loss of certain animals and plants is compensatedby the introduction of new species	[701]
CHAPTER XLIV.
Modifications in physical geography caused by organic beings	[708]
CHAPTER XLV.
Imbedding of organic remains in peat, blown sand, and volcanic ejections	[718]
CHAPTER XLVI.
Imbedding of the same in alluvial deposits and in caves	[730]
CHAPTER XLVII.
Imbedding of organic remains in aqueous deposits—Terrestrial plants—Insects,reptiles, birds, quadrupeds	[742]
CHAPTER XLVIII.
Imbedding of the remains of man and his works	[753]
CHAPTER XLIX.
Imbedding of aquatic animals and plants, both freshwater and marine, in aqueousdeposits	[765]
CHAPTER L.
Formation of coral reefs	[775]

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LIST OF PLATES.

DIRECTIONS TO THE BINDER.

Frontispiece, View of the Temple of Serapis at Puzzuoli in 1836, to face title page.		[to face title page.]
Plate	1. Map showing the Area in Europe which has been coveredby Water since the beginning of the Eocene Period	[to face p. 121]
	2. Boulders drifted by Ice on the Shores of theSt. Lawrence.	[220]
	3. View looking up the Val del Bove, Etna.	[408]
	4. View of the Val del Bove, Etna, as seen from above	[404]

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