Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1875 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XIII. THE DEVONIAN SYSTEM. We have now to trace how it came about that another chapter was added to early geological history. With the view of following intelligibly how far this addition was due to Murchison's labours, we may profitably take here a brief retrospect of the previous progress of discovery and opinion regarding the rocks from which the new chapter was compiled. It was one of the merits of the Wernerian geognosts to point out some of the more salient subdivisions in which, by means mainly of mineral characters, the rocks of the earth's crust may be chronologically grouped. They recognised that their "Transition" series was often covered by red sandstones and conglomerates, and that a younger group of similar sandstones was found to rest upon magnesian limestone or coal.1 It was in England that this distinction came to be most clearly perceived, because the extensive coalfields of this country were found to separate the two series of sandstones. Hence the terms Old Eed Sandstone and New Eed Sandstone acquired an important economic signiisoo-27.] THE OLD RED SANDSTONE. 245 1 It would appear, however, that the Old Red Sandstone of Werner himself agrees with a part at least of what is now called Permian. ficance apart from their geological meaning, inasmuch as the one lay below the coal, while the other lay above it. The Old Eed Sandstone during the first quarter of this century had been recognised over a large part of Britaia It was known to occur in broken bands from the Bristol Channel up northwards through the border counties of England and Wales. It had been recognised coming out from under the Carboniferous Limestone in the Lake country. It had been followed for great distances through the Lowlands of Scotland, and...
