Life in the Devonian 88 Vegetation of the Devonian 103 Carboniferous Plants 126 Oldest Land Snails 139 Carboniferous Reptiles 146 Foldings of the Crust in the Permian Period 162 Curves of Elevation and Depression 179 Culmination of Types of Palæozoic Animals 183 Land Animals of the Mesozoic 194 Aquatic Animals of the Mesozoic 219 Foraminiferal Rock-builders 243 Miocene Mammals 253 Britain in the Post-pliocene 301 THE STORY OF THE EARTH AND MAN. CHAPTER I. THE GENESIS OF THE EARTH. The title of this work is intended to indicate precisely its nature. It consists of rough, broad sketches of the aspects of successive stages in the earth's history, as disclosed by geology, and as they present themselves to observers at the present time. The last qualification is absolutely necessary, when dealing with a science whose goal to-day will be its starting point to-morrow, and in whose view every geological picture must have its light and shaded portions, its clear foreground and its dim distance, varying according to the lights cast on them by the progress of investigation, and according to the standpoint of the observer. In such pictures results only can be given, not the processes by which they have been obtained; and with all possible gradations of light and distance, it may be that the artist will bring into too distinct outline facts still only dimly perceived, or will give too little prominence to others which, should appear in bold relief. He must in this judge for himself; and if the writer's impressions do not precisely correspond with those of others, he trusts that they will allow something for difference of vision and point of view. The difficulty above referred to perhaps rises to its maximum in the present chapter. For how can any one paint chaos, or give form and filling to the formless void? Perhaps no word-picture of this period of the first phase of mundane history can ever equal the two negative touches of the inspired penman--"without form and void"--a world destitute of all its present order, and destitute of all that gives it life and animation. This it was, and not a complete and finished earth, that sprang at first from its Creator's hand; and we must inquire in this first chapter what information science gives as to any such condition of the earth.