S   I L  II  Rjlp,;fc;;crp

CriG^CjjjsTOEY  OF         '  "^^^ ^

THE OLDEST EOCKS IN THE BEITISH ISLES

AND OTHEK CODNTEIES;
 

AVITH SKETCHES OF THE ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION OF NATIVE GOLD, THE

GENERAL SUCCESSION OF GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS, AND

CHANGES OF THE EARTH's SURFACE.
 

BY

SIE RODEEICK BIPEY MUECHISON, Baet., KC.B.,

G.C.St.A. A>'D St.S.; D.C.L.; LL.D.; M.A.; F.E.S.; F.G.8.; F.L.S.; H.M.K.S.Ed. ; E.I.AC.;

DIEEOTOE-G-ENEEAX OF THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE BEITISH ISLES; PEESIDENT OF THE EOYAL

GEOGEAPHICAL   SOCIETY  OF LONDON;   TEUSTEE   OF   THE  BEITISH  AND   HITNTEEIAN

MUSEUMS   AND   OF   THE   BEITISH  ASSOCIATION  FOE   THE   ADVANCEMENT   OF

SCIENCE ;  MEMBEE OF THE IMP. ACAD. SC, GEOGE. AND MIN. SOCIETIES

ST. PETEESBUEG ;  COEE. MEMBEE OF THE IMP. ACAD. SC.

VIENNA AND HUNGAEY;  HON. MEMBEE OF THE

EOY'AL ACADEMIES OF BEELIN,   COPENHAGEN,  STOCKHOLM, BEUSSELS,

MUNICH, HOLLAND, TUEIN ; PONT. ACAD. NOV. LINC. EOME ;  AND OF

THE SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES OF SWITZERLAND,

MOSCOW, BRESLAU, FEANKFOET, BOSTON, NEW YOEK, PHILADELPHIA, ETC. ETC. ;

AND COEE. INSTITUTE OF FRANCE.
 

FOURTH EDITION,

Including " The Silurian System'^

WITH  A MAP,  MUCH NEW  MATTER,  AND  MANY ILLUSTRATIONS.
 

" The men who begin with speculation and end with facts begin at the wrong end; the
firmest materials should be in the foundations."—-Sir Humphry Davy.

" The crust of our earth is a great cemetery, where the rocks are tombstones on which the
buried dead have written their own epitaphs."—^^rossis.
 

LONDON:
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET.

1867.