McGill College.

CONTENTS.

CHAP. PAGE
I.Preliminary Considerations as to the Extent and Sources of our Knowledge[1]
II.The Beginning of Life on the Earth[21]
III.The Age of Invertebrates of the Sea[45]
IV.The Origin of Plant Life on the Land[89]
V.The Appearance of Vertebrate Animals[117]
VI.The First Air-breathers[137]
VII.The Empire of the Great Reptiles[165]
VIII.The First Forests of Modern Type[185]
IX.The Reign of Mammals[207]
X.The Advent of Man[233]
XI.Review of the History of Life[253]

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Frontispiece.—Life in the Silurian AgeTo face Title.
fig page
1.Bank of stream or coast, showing stratification[4]
2.Section of Niagara Falls[4]
3.Section obtained by boring, near Goderich, Ontario[5]
4.Inclined beds, holding fossil plants[6]
5.Ideal section of the Apalachian Mountains[7]
6.Generalised section across England from Menai Straits to the Valley of the Thames[9]
7.Generalised section from the Laurentian of Canada to the coal-field of Michigan[9]
8.Unconformable superposition of Devonian Conglomerate on Silurian slates, at St. Abb’s Head, Berwickshire[10]
9.Section of Trenton limestone, Montreal[14]
10.Diagram showing different state of fossilisation of a cell of a Tabulate Coral[15]
11.Cast of erect tree (Sigillaria) in Sandstone[16]
12.Protichnites septem-notatus[17]
12a.Footprints of modern Limulus, or king-crab[18]
13.Current markings on shale, resembling a fossil plant[18]
Frontispiece. Magnified and restored section of a portion of Eozoon canadense[20]
14.Ideal section, showing the relations of the Laurentian and Huronian[24]
15.Small weathered specimen of Eozoon[28]
16.Nature-printed specimen of Eozoon slightly etched with acid[29]
17.Magnified group of canals in supplemental skeleton of Eozoon[31]
18.Portion of Eozoon magnified 100 diameters[31]
19.Magnified portion of shell of Calcarina[32]
20.Amœba, a fresh-water naked Rhizopod; and Actinophrys, a fresh-water Protozoon[34]
21. Nonionina, a modern marine Foraminifer[34]
22.Stromatopora concentrica[35]
23.Caunopora planulata[36]
24.Archæocyathus minganensis. A Primordial Protozoon[37]
25.Receptaculites. Restored[38]
26.Section of Loftusia Persica. An Eocene Foraminifer[39]
27.Foraminiferal Rock Builders, in the Cretaceous and Eocene[41]
Frontispiece. Paradoxides Regina (Matthew)[44]
28.Group of Cambrian Animals[46]
29.Portion of skeleton of Hexactinellid Sponge (Cœloptychium)[49]
30.Protospongia fenestrata (Salter)[50]
31.Astylospongia præmorsa (Roemer)[51]
32.Spicules of Lithistid Sponge (Trichospongia, Billings)[51]
33.Oldhamia antiqua (Forbes)[52]
34.Dictyonema sociale. Enlarged[52]
35.Dictyonema Websteri (Dn.)[53]
36.Group of modern Hydroids allied to Graptolites[54]
37.Silurian Graptolitidæ[55]
38.Central portion of Graptolite, with membrane, or float (Dichograpsus octobrachiatus, Hall)[55]
39.Ptilodictya acuta (Hall). Bryozoan[55]
39a.Fenestella Lyelli (Dn.). A Carboniferous Bryozoan[56]
40.Chaetetes fibrosa. A Tabulate Coral with microscopic cells[56]
41.a, Stenopora exilis (Dn.). b, Chaetetes tumidus (Edwards and Haine)[57]
42.Living Anthozoan Coral (Astræa)[58]
43.Tabulate Corals (Halisites and Favosites)[59]
44.Rugose Coral (Heliophyllum Halli)[59]
44a.Zaphrentis prolifica (Billings)[60]
45.Rugose Corals (Zaphrentis Minas, Dn., and Cyathophyllum Billingsi, Dn.)[60]
46.Modern Crinoid (Rhizocrinus Lofotensis)[61]
47.Palæaster Niagarensis (Hall)[62]
48.Palæchinus ellipticus (McCoy)[62]
49.Pleurocystites squamosus[63]
50.Heterocrinus simplex (Meek)[63]
51.Body of Glyptocrinus[63]
52.Extracrinus Briareus[64]
53.Pentacrinus caput-medusæ[64]
54.Lingula anatina[65]
55.Cambrian and Silurian Lingulæ[65]
56.Terebratula sacculus (Martin)[66]
57.Brachiopods; genus Orthis[66]
58.Rhynchonella increbrescens (Hall)[66]
59.Spirifer mucronatus (Conrad)[67]
59a.Athyris subtilita (Hall)[67]
60.Productus cora (D’Orbigny)[68]
61.Group of Older Palæozoic Lamellibranchs[69]
62.Conularia planicostata (Dn.). A Carboniferous Pteropod[70]
63. Silurian Sea-snails[70]
64.Squid (Loligo)[72]
65.Pearly Nautilus (Nautilus pompilius)[72]
66.Orthoceras[73]
67.Gomphoceras[73]
68.Lituites[73]
69.Nautilus Avonensis (Dn.)[74]
70.Goniatites crenistria (Philips)[74]
71.Ceratites nodosus (Schloth)[75]
72.Ammonites Jason (Reinecke)[76]
72a.Suture of Ammonites componens (Meek)[76]
73.Cretaceous Ammonitidæ[77]
74.Belemnite[78]
74a.Belemnoteuthis antiquus[78]
75.Cambrian Trilobites[79]
76.Transverse section of Calymene. A Silurian Trilobite[80]
76a.Burrows of Trilobite and of modern King-crab[81]
77.Silurian Trilobites[82]
78.Devonian and Carboniferous Trilobites[83]
79.Palæozoic Ostracod Crustaceans[83]
80.Pterygotus anglicus[84]
81.Amphipeltis paradoxus (Salter)[85]
82.Anthropalæmon Hilliana (Dn.)[85]
Frontispiece. Cordaites, of the group of Dory-Cordaites[88]
83.Protannularia Harknessii (Nicholson)[91]
84.American Lower Silurian Plants[92]
86.Fragment of outer surface of Glyptodendron of Claypole[93]
87.Psilophyton princeps (Dn.)[95]
88.Trunk of a Devonian Tree-fern (Caulopteris Lockwoodi, Dn.)[97]
89.Frond of Archæopteris Jacksoni (Dn.)[98]
90.Portion of a branch of Leptophleum rhombicum (Dn.)[98]
91.Calamites radiatus (Brongniart)[99]
92.A Devonian Taxine Conifer (Dadoxylon ouangondianum, Dn.)[100]
93.Group of Devonian fruits, &c.[101]
94.Structures of the oldest-known Angiospermous Exogen (Syringoxylon mirabile, Dn.)[102]
95.Asterophyllites parvula (Dn.) and Sphenophyllum antiquum (Dn.)[103]
96.Calamites[104]
97.Carboniferous Ferns[105]
98.Carboniferous Tree-ferns[107]
99.Lepidodendron corrugatum (Dn.)[108]
100.Sigillariæ of the Carboniferous[109]
101.Trigonocarpum Hookeri (Dn.)[111]
Frontispiece. Pteraspis. Restored[116]
102.Siluro-Cambrian Conodonts[118]
103.Lower Carboniferous Conodont[119]
104.a, Head-shield of an Upper Silurian Fish (Cyathaspis); b, Spine of a Silurian Shark (Onchus tenui-striatus, Agass.); c, d, Scales of Thecodus[121]
105. Cephalaspis Dawsoni (Lankester)[122]
106.Devonian Placoganoid Fishes (Pterichthys cornutus, Cephalaspis Lyelli)[123]
107.Devonian Lepidoganoid Fishes (Diplacanthus and Osteolepis)[124]
108.Modern Dipnoi (Ceratodus Fosteri and Lepidosiren annectus)[124]
109.Anterior part of the palate of Dipterus[125]
110.Dental plate of Conchodus plicatus (Dn.)[126]
111.Dental plate of Ceratodus Barrandii[126]
112.Dental plate of Ceratodus serratus[127]
113.Jaws of Dinichthys Hertzeri (Newberry)[127]
114.Lower Jaw of Dinichthys Hertzeri[128]
115.Jaws of Lepidosiren[128]
116.A small Carboniferous Ganoid (Palæoniscus (Rhadinichthys) Modulus, Dn.)[129]
117.Teeth and Spines of Carboniferous Sharks[130]
118.Teeth of Cretaceous Sharks (Otodus and Ptychodus)[131]
119.Tooth of a Tertiary Shark (Carcharodon)[132]
120.A Liassic Ganoid (Dapedius)[132]
121.Cretaceous Fishes of the modern or Teleostian type (Beryx Lewesiensis and Portheus molossus, Cope)[133]
122.Modern Ganoids (Polypterus and Lepidosteus)[134]
Frontispiece. A Microsaurian of the Carboniferous Period (Hylonomus Lyelli)[136]
123.Wings of Devonian Insects[140]
124.Land-snail (Pupa vetusta, Dn.)[143]
125.Land-snail (Zonites (Conulus) priscus, Carpenter)[143]
126.Millipedes (Xylobius sigillariæ, Dn.; Archiulus Xylobioides, Scudder; X. farctus, Scudder)[145]
127.Wings of Cockroaches[146]
128.Wing of May-fly (Haplophlebium Barnesii, Scudder)[147]
129.A Jurassic Sphinx-moth (Sphinx Snelleri, Weyenburgh)[148]
130.An Eocene Butterfly (Prodryas persephone, Scudder)[149]
131.Abdominal part of a Carboniferous Scorpion[150]
132.Carboniferous Scorpion (Eoscorpius carbonarius, Meek and Worthen)[151]
133.Footprints of one of the oldest known Batrachians, probably a species of Dendrerpeton[152]
134.Archegosaurus Decheni[154]
135.Ptyonius[154]
136.A large Carboniferous Labyrinthodont (Baphetes planiceps, Owen)[155]
137.Baphetes planiceps (Owen)[156]
138.A lizard-like Amphibian (Hylonomus aciedentatus)[157]
139.Stelliosaurus longicostatus (Fritsch)[158]
140.Section showing the position of an erect Sigillaria, containing remains of land animals[160]
140a.Section of base of erect Sigillaria, containing remains of land animals[161]
Frontispiece. Inhabitants of the English Seas in the Age of Reptiles[164]
141.Arm of Proterosaurus Speneri[166]
142.Skeleton of Ichthyosaurus[167]
142a.Head of Pliosaurus[168]
142b.Paddle of Plesiosaurus Oxoniensis[168]
143.Skeleton of Clidastes[170]
144.An Anomodont Reptile of the Trias (Dicynodon lacerticeps, Owen)[170]
145.A Theriodont Reptile of the Trias (Lycosaurus)[170]
146.Skeleton of Pterodochylus crassirostris[170]
147.Restoration of Rhamphorhyncus Bucklandi[171]
148.A Jurassic bird (Archæopteryx macroura)[172]
149.Jaw of a Cretaceous Toothed Bird (Ichthyornis dispar)[173]
150.Jaw of Bathygnathus borealis (Leidy)[174]
151.Hadrosaurus Foulkii (Cope)[175]
152.Jaws of Megalosaurus[176]
153.Tooth of Megalosaurus[177]
154.Compsognathus[179]
Frontispiece. Lower Cretaceous Leaves[184]
155.Sassafras cretaceum (Newberry)[190]
156.Liriodendron primævum (Newberry)[191]
157.Onoclea sensibilis[191]
158.Davallia tenuifolia[192]
159.Eocene Leaves[194]
160.An Ancient Clover (Trifolium palæogæum, Saporta)[195]
161.An Eocene Maple (Acer sextianus, Saporta)[195]
162.A European Magnolia of the Eocene (M. dianæ, Saporta)[195]
163.Flower and Leaf of Bombax sepultiflorum[196]
164.Branch and Fruit of Sequoia Couttsiæ (Heer)[197]
165.Cinnamomum Scheuchzeri (Heer)[198]
Frontispiece. Sivatherium giganteum[206]
166.Jaw of Dromatherium sylvestre (Emmons)[209]
167.Myrmecobius fasciatus[209]
168.Jaw and Molar of Phascolotherium Bucklandi[210]
169.Jaw and Pre-molar of Plagiaulax Becklesii[210]
170.Restoration of Palæotherium magnum[211]
171.Skull of a Lower Eocene Perissodactyl (Coryphodon Hamatus)[214]
172.Fore-foot of Coryphodon[215]
173.Skull of Upper Eocene Perissodactyl (Dinoceras mirabilis)[216]
174.Fore-foot of Dinoceras[217]
175.Skull of Miocene Perissodactyl (Brontotherium ingens, Marsh)[217]
176.Series of Equine feet[218]
177.Skull of generalised Miocene Ruminant (Oreodon major)[221]
178.Lower Jaw of Megatherium[222]
179.Ungual Phalanx and Claw-core of Megatherium[222]
180.Tooth of Eocene Whale (Zeuglodon cetioides)[223]
181.Mastodon ohioticus[225]
182.Head of Dinotherium giganteum[226]
183.Wing of Eocene Bat (Vespertilio aquensis)[226]
184.Skull of a Cymetar-toothed Tiger (Machairodus cultridens)[228]
185.Lower Jaw of Dryopithecus Fontani[229]
Frontispiece. Contemporaries of Post-Glacial Man[232]
186.Elephas primigenius[241]
187.Tooth of Elasmotherium[242]
188.Engis Skull[243]
189.Outlines of Three Prehistoric European Skulls compared with an American Skull[244]
190.Flint Implement found in Kent’s Cavern, Torquay[245]
191.Bone Harpoon (Palæocosmic)[246]
192.Sketch of a Mammoth carved on a portion of a Tusk of the same Animal[249]