For the rest, it will be found that no strained effort is made to trace pedigrees of animals and plants when the material is scanty; that, if on account of some especial interest disputable or conjectural speculations are admitted, they are frankly described as such; and that the more important differences of opinion which actually divide astronomers, geologists, biologists, and anthropologists are carefully taken into account and briefly explained. A few English and American works are recommended for the convenience of those who would study particular chapters more closely, but it has seemed useless, in such a work, to give a bibliography of the hundreds of English, American, French, German, and Italian works which have been consulted.
CONTENTS
[ CHAPTER I. ] THE DISCOVERY OF THE UNIVERSE
[ CHAPTER II. ] THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE UNIVERSE
[ CHAPTER III. ] THE BIRTH AND DEATH OF WORLDS
[ CHAPTER IV. ] THE PREPARATION OF THE EARTH
[ CHAPTER V. ] THE BEGINNING OF LIFE
[ CHAPTER VI. ] THE INFANCY OF THE EARTH
[ CHAPTER VII. ] THE PASSAGE TO THE LAND
[ CHAPTER VIII. ] THE COAL-FOREST
[ CHAPTER IX. ] THE ANIMALS OF THE COAL-FOREST
[ CHAPTER X. ] THE PERMIAN REVOLUTION
[ CHAPTER XI. ] THE MIDDLE AGES OF THE EARTH
[ CHAPTER XII. ] THE AGE OF REPTILES
[ CHAPTER XIII. ] THE BIRD AND THE MAMMAL
[ CHAPTER XIV. ] IN THE DAYS OF THE CHALK
[ CHAPTER XV. ] THE TERTIARY ERA
[ CHAPTER XVI. ] THE FLOWER AND THE INSECT
[ CHAPTER XVII. ] THE ORIGIN OF OUR MAMMALS
[ CHAPTER XVIII. ] THE EVOLUTION OF MAN
[ CHAPTER XIX. ] MAN AND THE GREAT ICE-AGE
[ CHAPTER XX. ] THE DAWN OF CIVILISATION
[ CHAPTER XXI. ] EVOLUTION IN HISTORY