ANALYSIS OF THE CONTENTS
OF
THE PRINCIPLES OF GEOLOGY.
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] |
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.