Nature of Organic Rocks--Carbonate of Lime extracted from the Sea by the Intervention of minute Animalcules--Chalk Rock--its vast Extent--supposed to be of Organic Origin--A Stratum of the same kind now growing up on the Floor of the Atlantic Ocean--Coral Reefs and Islands--their general Appearance--their Geographical Distribution--their Organic Origin--Structure of the Zoophyte--Various Illustrations--Agency of the Zoophyte in the Construction of Coral Rock--How the sunken Reef is converted into an Island--and peopled with Plants and Animals--Difficulty proposed and considered--Hypothesis of Mr. Darwin--Coral Limestone in the solid Crust of the Earth, 118 CHAPTER IX. STRATIFIED ROCKS OF ORGANIC ORIGIN--ILLUSTRATIONS FROM VEGETABLE LIFE. Origin of Coal--Evident Traces of Plants and Trees in Coal Mines--Coal made up of the same Elements as Wood--Beds of Coal found resting upon Clay in which are preserved the Roots of Trees--Insensible Transition from Wood to Coal--Forest-covered Swamps--Accumulations of Drift Wood in Lakes and Estuaries--Peat Bogs--Beds of Lignite--Seams of pure Coal with half Carbonized Trees, some lying prostrate, some standing erect--Summary of the Argument hitherto pursued--Objection to this Argument from the Omnipotence of God--Answer to the Objection, 141 CHAPTER X. FOSSIL REMAINS--THE MUSEUM. Recapitulation--Scope of our Argument--Theory of Stratified Rocks the Framework of Geological Science--This Theory brings Geology into Contact with Revelation--The Line of Reasoning hitherto pursued confirmed by the Testimony of Fossil Remains--Meaning of the Word Fossil--Inexhaustible Abundance of Fossils--Various States of Preservation--Petrifaction--Experiments of Professor Göppert--Organic Rocks afford some Insight into the Fossil World--The Reality and Significance of Fossil Remains must be learned from Observation--The British Museum--Colossal Skeletons--Bones and Shells of Animals--Fossil Plants and Trees, 156 CHAPTER XI. FOSSIL REMAINS--THE EXPLORATION. From the Museum to the Quarry--Fossil Fish in the Limestone Rocks of Monte Bolca--in the Quarries of Aix--in the Chalk of Sussex--The Ichthyosaurus or Fish-like Lizard--Gigantic Dimensions of this Ancient Monster--its Predatory Habits--The Plesiosaurus--The Megatherium or great Wild Beast--History of its Discovery--the Mylodon--Profusion of Fossil Shells--Petrified Trees erect in the Limestone Rock of Portland--Fossil Plants of the Coal Measures--The Sigillaria--The Fern--The Calamite--The Lepidodendron--Coal Mine of Treuil--Fossil Remains afford undeniable Evidence of former Animal and Vegetable Life--Their Existence cannot be accounted for by the Plastic Power of Nature--nor can it reasonably be ascribed to a Special Act of Creation, 172