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THE
41908
DYNAMICAL THEORY
OF THE
FORMATION OF THE EARTH.
BY
ARCHIBALD TUCKER RITCHIE.
=
"Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God; so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."
HEBREWS xi. 3.
VOL. I.
LONDON:
LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, AND LONGMANS,
PATERNOSTER ROWw.
MDCCCL.
GREENWICH: PRINTED BY W. H. CROCKFORD.
CONTENTS OF VOL. I.
Theorems Nos. 1 to 10 relating to Astronomy.
Nos. 11 and 12 to Geo-
graphy. Nos. 13 to 37 to Geology. Nos. 38 to 44 to Light. Nos.
45 to 50 to Light and Light and Heat. Nos. 51 to 55 to Physics.
Nos. 56 to 58 to the Atomic Theory, Radiation, and Evaporation.
Nos. 59 to 66 to Electricity and Magnetism. Nos. 67 to 82 to Me-
chanics and Dynamics. No. 83 to Friction. Nos. 84 to 88 and 94
to Meteorology. Nos. 89 to 93 and 95 to 97 to Fluids, Liquids, and
Evaporation. Nos. 98 to 104 to Earths and Soils. Nos. 105 to 108
to Ores, Metals, and Native Salts. Nos. 111 to 112 to Crystalliza-
tion. Nos. 113 to 124 to Botany. Nos. 125 to 127 to Fossil Botany.
No. 128 to Vegetable Decomposition. Nos. 129 to 137 to the
Animal Kingdom. Nos. 138 and 139 to Animal Respiration and
Decomposition
. 1
CHAPTER I.
Preliminary Observations. Subject of Argument in the present Section.
Early Conception of a Principle of Limitation involved in the Mosaic
Record. "The Moving Thing that hath Life." Definition of the
Living Principle. Faint Line of Separation between Vegetable and
Animal Vitality. Difference determined; and also that between
Vertebrate and Invertebrate Animals. The former accurately de-
fined and described for the purpose of being eliminated from the
argument. The same method adopted with respect to certain Mol-
lusca, Articulata, and Radiata. Apulmonic Tribes of animals defined
generally. Described particularly and very fully, and confirmed by
general testimony. Enquiry into the supposed Nature and Habits
of the Extinct Races of Inferior Animals. Evidences of the Extinction
of their Races, and of the successive Creation of others. The De-
sign and Object of their Temporary Existence briefly alluded to,
with a view to resume, and dwell, in the sequel, upon both of these
points
78
CHAPTER II.
Review of the progress made in the previous Chapter. Followed up by
exhibiting the description of Fossil Animal Remains which have
been discovered in the older formations. Consolidated Lists of their
Exuviæ from the Chalk downwards. General Notices respecting
the same. The whole compared with the Animal Remains which,
by dependance on Scripture, might have been expected to have been
disembedded from the older Strata, and found substantially, and
with few exceptions, to correspond. Some Explanations respecting
the points of disagreement. Remains of Vertebrate Animals disco-
vered in localities supposed to belong to the Formations of the Anti-
rotatory Period
127
CHAPTER III.
Adaptation of the Apulmonic Invertebrate Animals to the state of the
creation previous to the Earth's rotation around its axis. Origin of
Calcareous Rocks, and the influential part which the primitive Ani-
mal Organisms performed in producing them. Increase of these
rocks in an ascending series. Evidences for their existence deduced
from geological writers. And a summary of the subjects treated of
in this section, with an application of the whole to the progressive
development of the Dynamical Theory
152
CHAPTER IV.
The subject of argument of this Section stated. The Vegetation of the
Non-rotatory period neither flowering nor of seed-bearing plants.
Striking analogy in this respect to the apulmonic creatures which
were the subject of the previous Section, pointing to a common
cause; and, therefore, requiring to be treated in a similar manner.
The Dicotyledonous class of plants fully described. The Monocoty-
ledonous also minutely characterised, and both of these great divisions
eliminated from the argument as having been formed during the
Mosaic week. These, however, not comprising the entire Vegetable
Kingdom, leave the Acotyledons as a residue, which are considered
to have been willed into existence during the period of non-rotation.
This latter class closely delineated, and their functions particularized 185
ter.
CHAPTER V.
Summary application of what has been established in the foregoing Chap-
DICOTYLEDONS comprehend all plants "bearing fruit whose
seed is in itself upon the earth." MONOCOTYLEDONS embrace "the
herbs yielding seed." But the Vegetable Kingdom being examined
into, a third description of plants is discovered, bearing neither
flowers, fruits, nor seeds, called ACOTYLEDONS, and these are sup-
posed to have been created during the non-rotatory period. Lists
of Fossil Plants, given in corroboration, from the chalk formation
downwards, and from two distinct sources-from Geological writers,
and from the works of Fossil Botanists. General observations con-
firmatory of these lists. Brief explanations respecting vestiges of
flowering plants occasionally included in the foregoing lists. Review
of the progress made thus far. Adaptation of the imperfect, flower-
less plants to the state of the creation during the anti-rotatory period;
and their capability of having grown and propagated in a submerged
condition confirmed, by contrast with the incapability of flowering
plants to have existed without either light, atmosphere, or dry land 216
CHAPTER VI.
The assumed condition of the primitive vegetation compared with Botani-
cal descriptions of Cryptogamous plants. Characters and habitats of
these given in detail, and found to coincide with the supposed state
of the submerged vegetation of the anti-rotatory period. Motives
for supposing that there was only one general elevation of the ter-
raine portion of the earth. The absence, in lists of fossil flora, of
certain orders of Acotyledonous plants accounted for. Capability of
plants growing in the waters of the primeval ocean, although this
held in solution saline materials
247
CHAPTER VII.
Another brief review of the progress made, and its application to the de-
velopment of the general argument. Adaptation of the Plants of the
non-rotatory period to the state of creation during that epoch.
Fronds and folliacious appendages of Cryptogames described-con-
trasted with the respiratory expansions of Phanogames; and the de-
sign of the former being demonstrated, they are shown to be in
harmony with the effects which the flowerless plants were intended
to produce, namely, absorption from the surrounding water, reten-
tion of carbonic acid, and deposition, by their roots, to assist in
forming the carboniferous strata. Short concluding observation:
the continuity with which the subject has been traced to the present
convergent point
269
CHAPTER VIII.
The subject of argument of the present Section succinctly stated. Depo-
sition of the stratified masses. Proof that the materials which com-
pose the strata existed in the primeval ocean. The Earth accurately
weighed before the deposition commenced, and after it ceased, and
found, in either case, to be the same. In continuation, several
sources of doubt respecting the origin of the strata removed, and
clearly shown that underneath the stratified masses of the Earth's
crust there is an impervious base of amorphous crystalline rock.
Order of superposition laid down, in accordance with the classifica-
tion of M. de la. Beche. Table given, and corroborated by general
extracts. Wherever the surface of the Earth has been geologically
examined it is found to have been, at one time, submerged in the
waters of the ocean. And, in conclusion of this Chapter, that all
stratified rocks afford evidence of having been deposited from water
CHAPTER IX.
Further inferences respecting the existence of the elements of the strata
in the primitive ocean; and of the crystalline base on which they
universally repose. Attendant circumstance of the Earth in perfect
accordance with the work of deposition then going on. Character
and component elements of the lower stratified, or non-fossiliferous
rocks, given with the design of showing that their elements existed
in the primitive menstruum. Endeavours to describe the process by
which these elements were abstracted from the water with which
they were thus combined. The immediate influence of the luni-solar
current exemplified by the theory of the tides. Geological con-
struction of the non-fosiliferous rocks-confusedly crystalline. Their
specific gravity given, and the influence of attraction in their forma-
tion. Aqueous crystallization, and the predominating influence
which it exercised at this early stage of the creation. Capacity of
water for becoming chemically impregnated with mineral elements
shown and corroborated by the waters of Carlsbad and other mineral
springs. Chemical affinity; its universality and influence. Brief
summary in conclusion of this, as a preparation for succeeding
Chapters
304
329
CHAPTER X.
Position assumed, that the primeval water was chemically saturated with
the mineral elements of the strata; and could, therefore, according