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ON THEORIES OF THE EARTH. 407 doubtful cause of its successful application. If I am to do justice to my readers, I am bound to protect them from the assertion that he always proceeded on the legitimate principles of induction for thus, under reputed authority, is the young mind misled. There is an equally unfortunate anxiety after the hypothesis, where the present forms of the surface are concerned: since, ever thinking of the slow action of feeble forces, he forgets that elevations must have produced inequalities, and therefore, that vallies must have existed before rivers. To deny, also, any other alluvia than those of rivers, is not only to deny pal pable facts, but to overlook some necessary conse quences of the very theory ; while, if we can pardon the zeal of the original theorist, there is no excuse for the commentator. The system which assumes to he perfect, and whose pride will not yield, mistakes its own interests. It is beaten at the had outposts which it is resolved to defend; while, by retiring to the cita del, it might long have defied assault. Such is a sufficient view of this theory, and such is all the criticism which appeared due to the student in geology, while I desire to avoid what is superfluous. It is sufficient, among other things, to prove that this boasted theory is little more than an hypothesis, where it is original; yet fortunate in having borrowed a better foundation, and thus far, almost only, a theory. Yet, wishing to do justice to all, I must point out that which I believe to be original, or if not always original, im portant. Such is the effect of pressure, hut original as to the carbonat of lime only ; and such is the igneous origin of granite, since without that, there can he no Theory of the Earth : though it may still he questioned how far the hint was taken from Leibnitz and Buffon, as it is easy to believe that Lazzaro Moro would have