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VOLCANIC ISLANDS

BY

CHARLES DARWIN

EDITORIAL NOTE.

Although in some respects more technical in their subjects and style than Darwin's "Journal," the books here reprinted will never lose their value and interest for the originality of the observations they contain. Many parts of them are admirably adapted for giving an insight into problems regarding the structure and changes of the earth's surface, and in fact they form a charming introduction to physical geology and physiography in their application to special domains. The books themselves cannot be obtained for many times the price of the present volume, and both the general reader, who desires to know more of Darwin's work, and the student of geology, who naturally wishes to know how a master mind reasoned on most important geological subjects, will be glad of the opportunity of possessing them in a convenient and cheap form.

The three introductions, which my friend Professor Judd has kindly furnished, give critical and historical information which makes this edition of special value.

G.T.B.

VOLCANIC ISLANDS.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CRITICAL INTRODUCTION.

* CHAPTER I.--ST. JAGO, IN THE CAPE DE VERDE ARCHIPELAGO.

Rocks of the lowest series.--A calcareous sedimentary deposit, with recent shells, altered by the contact of superincumbent lava, its horizontality and extent.--Subsequent volcanic eruptions, associated with calcareous matter in an earthy and fibrous form, and often enclosed within the separate cells of the scoriae.--Ancient and obliterated orifices of eruption of small size.--Difficulty of tracing over a bare plain recent str

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