Hence The Same Instant Which

It Is To Them [fossils] Alone That We Owe The Commencement Of Even A Theory Of The Earth ... By Them We Are Enabled To Ascertain, With The Utmost Certainty, That Our Earth Has Not Always Been Covered Over By The Same External Crust, Because We Are Thoroughly Assured That The Organized Bodies To Which These Fossil Remains Belong Must Have Lived Upon The Surface Before They Came To Be Buried, As They Now Are, At A Great Depth.

Secondly, The Nature Of The Revolutions Which Have Altered The Surface Of The Earth Must Have Had A More Decisive Effect On The Terrestrial Quadrupeds Than On The Marine Animals.

My Object Will Be, First, To Show By What Connections The History Of The Fossil Bones Of Land Animals Is Linked To The Theory Of The Earth And Why They Have A Particular Importance In This Respect.

A Famous Anecdote Concerning Cuvier Involves The Tale Of His Visitation From The Devil—only It Was Not The Devil But One Of His Students Dressed Up With Horns On His Head And Shoes Shaped Like Cloven Hooves. This Frightening Apparition Burst Into Cuvier's Bedroom When He Was Fast Asleep And Claimed: 'wake Up Thou Man Of Catastrophes. I Am The Devil. I Have Come To Devour You!' Cuvier Studied The Apparition Carefully And Critically Said, 'i Doubt Whether You Can. You Have Horns And Hooves. You Eat Only Plants.

The Works Which This Man [joseph Banks] Leaves Behind Him Occupy A Few Pages Only; Their Importance Is Not Greatly Superior To Their Extent; And Yet His Name Will Shine Out With Lustre In The History Of The Sciences.