the formation of vegetable mould-第39节
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beneath the foundations of ponderous architectural structures; such
as cathedral towers; has been known to become compressed; is as
remarkable as it is instructive and curious。 The amount of
depression in some cases may be measured by feet。〃 He instances
the Tower of Pisa; but adds that it was founded on 〃dense clay。〃
{51} 'Zeitschrift fur wissensch。 Zoolog。' Bd。 xxviii。; 1877; p。
360。
{52} See Mr。 Dancer's paper in 'Proc。 Phil。 Soc。 of Manchester;'
1877; p。 248。
{53} 'Lecons de Geologie pratique;' 1845; p。 142。
{54} A short account of this discovery was published in 'The
Times' of January 2; 1878; and a fuller account in 'The Builder;'
January 5; 1878。
{55} Several accounts of these ruins have been published; the best
is by Mr。 James Farrer in 'Proc。 Soc。 of Antiquaries of Scotland;'
vol。 vi。; Part II。; 1867; p。 278。 Also J。 W。 Grover; 'Journal of
the British Arch。 Assoc。' June 1866。 Professor Buckman has
likewise published a pamphlet; 'Notes on the Roman Villa at
Chedworth;' 2nd edit。 1873 Cirencester。
{56} These details are taken from the 'Penny Cyclopaedia;' article
Hampshire。
{57} 〃On the denudation of South Wales;〃 &c。; 'Memoirs of the
Geological Survey of Great Britain;' vol。 1。; p。 297; 1846。
{58} 'Geological Magazine;' October and November; 1867; vol。 iv。
pp。 447 and 483。 Copious references on the subject are given in
this remarkable memoir。
{59} A。 Tylor 〃On changes of the sea…level;〃 &c。; ' Philosophical
Mag。' (Ser。 4th) vol。 v。; 1853; p。 258。 Archibald Geikie;
Transactions Geolog。 Soc。 of Glasgow; vol。 iii。; p。 153 (read
March; 1868)。 Croll 〃On Geological Time;〃 'Philosophical Mag。;'
May; August; and November; 1868。 See also Croll; 'Climate and
Time;' 1875; Chap。 XX。 For some recent information on the amount
of sediment brought down by rivers; see 'Nature;' Sept。 23rd;
1880。 Mr。 T。 Mellard Reade has published some interesting articles
on the astonishing amount of matter brought down in solution by
rivers。 See Address; Geolog。 Soc。; Liverpool; 1876…77。
{60} 〃An account of the fine dust which often falls on Vessels in
the Atlantic Ocean;〃 Proc。 Geolog。 Soc。 of London; June 4th; 1845。
{61} For La Plata; see my 'Journal of Researches;' during the
voyage of the Beagle; 1845; p。 133。 Elie de Beaumont has given
('Lecons de Geolog。 pratique;' tom。 I。 1845; p。 183) an excellent
account of the enormous quantity of dust which is transported in
some countries。 I cannot but think that Mr。 Proctor has somewhat
exaggerated ('Pleasant Ways in Science;' 1879; p。 379) the agency
of dust in a humid country like Great Britain。 James Geikie has
given ('Prehistoric Europe;' 1880; p。 165) a full abstract of
Richthofen's views; which; however; he disputes。
{62} These statements are taken from Hensen in 'Zeitschrift fur
wissenschaft。 Zoologie。' Bd。 xxviii。; 1877; p。 360。 Those with
respect to peat are taken from Mr。 A。 A。 Julien in 'Proc。 American
Assoc。 Science;' 1879; p。 354。
{63} I have given some facts on the climate necessary or
favourable for the formation of peat; in my 'Journal of
Researches;' 1845; p。 287。
{64} A。 A。 Julien 〃On the Geological action of the Humus…acids;〃
'Proc。 American Assoc。 Science;' vol。 xxviii。; 1879; p。 311。 Also
on 〃Chemical erosion on Mountain Summits;〃 'New York Academy of
Sciences;' Oct。 14; 1878; as quoted in the 'American Naturalist。'
See also; on this subject; S。 W。 Johnson; 'How Crops Feed;' 1870;
p。 138。
{65} See; for references on this subject; S。 W。 Johnson; 'How
Crops Feed;' 1870; p。 326。
{66} This statement is taken from Mr。 Julien; 'Proc。 American
Assoc。 Science;' vol。 xxviii。; 1879; p。 330。
{67} The preservative power of a layer of mould and turf is often
shown by the perfect state of the glacial scratches on rocks when
first uncovered。 Mr。 J。 Geikie maintains; in his last very
interesting work ('Prehistoric Europe;' 1881); that the more
perfect scratches are probably due to the last access of cold and
increase of ice; during the long…continued; intermittent glacial
period。
{68} Many geologists have felt much surprise at the complete
disappearance of flints over wide and nearly level areas; from
which the chalk has been removed by subaerial denudation。 But the
surface of every flint is coated by an opaque modified layer; which
will just yield to a steel point; whilst the freshly fractured;
translucent surface will not thus yield。 The removal by
atmospheric agencies of the outer modified surfaces of freely
exposed flints; though no doubt excessively slow; together with the
modification travelling inwards; will; as may be suspected;
ultimately lead to their complete disintegration; notwithstanding
that they appear to be so extremely durable。
{69} 'Archives de Zoolog。 exper。' tom。 iii。 1874; p。 409。
{70} 'Nouvelles Archives du Museum;' tom。 viii。 1872; pp。 95;
131。
{71} Morren; in speaking of the earth in the alimentary canals of
worms; says; 〃praesepe cum lapillis commixtam vidi:〃 'De Lumbrici
terrestris Hist。 Nat。' &c。; 1829; p。 16。
{72} Perrier; 'Archives de Zoolog。 exper。' tom。 iii。 1874; p。 419。
{73} Morren; 'De Lumbrici terrestris Hist。 Nat。' &c。; p。 16。
{74} 'Archives de Zoolog。 exper。' tom。 iii。 1874; p。 418。
{75} This conclusion reminds me of the vast amount of extremely
fine chalky mud which is found within the lagoons of many atolls;
where the sea is tranquil and waves cannot triturate the blocks of
coral。 This mud must; as I believe ('The Structure and
Distribution of Coral…Reefs;' 2nd edit。 1874; p。 19); be attributed
to the innumerable annelids and other animals which burrow into the
dead coral; and to the fishes; Holothurians; &c。; which browse on
the living corals。
{76} Anniversary Address: 'The Quarterly Journal of the
Geological Soc。' May 1880; p。 59。
{77} Mr。 James Wallace has pointed out that it is necessary to
take into consideration the possibility of burrows being made at
right angles to the surface instead of vertically down; in which
case the lateral displacement of the soil would be increased。
{78} 'Elements of Geology;' 1865; p。 20。
{79} 'Lecons de Geologie pratique; 1845; cinquieme Lecon。 All
Elie de Beaumont's arguments are admirably controverted by Prof。 A。
Geikie in his essay in Transact。 Geolog。 Soc。 of Glasgow; vol。 iii。
p。 153; 1868。
{80} 'Illustrations of the Huttonian Theory of the Earth;' p。 107。
{81} Mr。 E。 Tylor in his Presidential address ('Journal of the
Anthropological Institute;' May 1880; p。 451) remarks: 〃It appears
from several papers of the Berlin Society as to the German 'high…
fields' or 'heathen…fields' (Hochacker; and Heidenacker) that they
correspond much in their situation on hills and wastes with the
'elf…furrows' of Scotland; which popular mythology accounts for by
the story of the fields having been put under a Papal interdict; so
that people took to cultivating the hills。 There seems reason to
suppose that; like the tilled plots in the Swedish forest which
tradition ascribes to the old 'hackers;' the German heathen…fields
represent tillage by an ancient and barbaric population。〃
{82} White of Selborne has some good remarks on the service
performed by worms in loosening; &c。; the soil。 Edit; by L。
Jenyns; 1843; p。 281。
{83} 'Zeitschrift fur wissenschaft。 Zoolog。' B。 xxviii。 1877; p。
360。
End