



Produced by Thomas Cosmas. Produced from files made
available on The Internet Archive and a physical copy of
the book.









THE

ELEMENTS OF GEOLOGY;

ADAPTED TO THE USE OF

SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES.


BY

JUSTIN R. LOOMIS,

PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY AND GEOLOGY IN WATERVILLE COLLEGE.


WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS.


BOSTON:

GOULD AND LINCOLN,

59 WASHINGTON STREET.

1852


Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1852,

By GOULD & LINCOLN,

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of
Massachusetts.


Stereotyped by

HOBART & ROBBINS,

BOSTON.

PRESS OF G. C. RAND, CORNHILL, BOSTON.




PREFACE


In preparing the following work, it was intended to present a systematic
and somewhat complete statement of the principles of Geology, within
such limits that they may be thoroughly studied in the time usually
allotted to this science.

A sufficient number of leading facts has been introduced to enable the
learner to feel that every important principle is a conclusion to which
he has himself arrived; and yet, for the purpose of compression, that
fullness of detail has been avoided with which more extended works
abound. In furtherance of the same object, authorities are seldom cited.

The consideration of geological changes is made a distinct chapter,
subsequent to the one on the arrangement of materials. It should,
however, be remembered that these processes of arranging and disturbing
are not thus separated in time. In nature the two processes are always
going on together.

It seemed important to exhibit the science with as much unity and
completeness as possible; and hence, discussions upon debatable points
in Theoretical Geology, so interesting to mature ge