In the present Manual of GEOLOGY it has been the aim of the author
rather to indicate the methods of geological inquiry and reasoning, than
to present the learner with a tedious summary of results. Attention has
therefore been directed chiefly to the physical branches of the
science--Palaeontology and Historical Geology, which are very large
subjects of themselves, having been only lightly touched upon. The
student who has attained to a fair knowledge of the scope and bearing of
Physical Geology, should have little difficulty in subsequently tackling
those manuals in which the results obtained by geological investigation
are specially treated of.