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ndulge a hobby at a more or less professional level。 by 1830； therewere 745 of them； and the world would never see the like again。
it is hard to imagine now； but geology excited the nineteenth century鈥攑ositively grippedit鈥攊n a way that no science ever had before or would again。 in 1839； when roderickmurchison published the silurian system； a plump and ponderous study of a type of rockcalled greywacke； it was an instant bestseller； racing through four editions； even though it costeight guineas a copy and was； in true huttonian style； unreadable。 （as even a murchisonsupporter conceded； it had 鈥渁 total want of literary attractiveness。鈥潱nd when； in 1841； thegreat charles lyell traveled to america to give a series of lectures in boston； selloutaudiences of three thousand at a time packed into the lowell institute to hear his tranquilizingdescriptions of marine zeolites and seismic perturbations in campania。
throughout the modern； thinking world； but especially in britain； men of learning venturedinto the countryside to do a little 鈥渟tone…breaking；鈥潯s they called it。 it was a pursuit takenseriously； and they tended to dress with appropriate gravity； in top hats and dark suits； exceptfor the reverend william buckland of oxford； whose habit it was to do his fieldwork in anacademic gown。
the field attracted many extraordinary figures； not least the aforementioned murchison；who spent the first thirty or so years of his life galloping after foxes； converting aeronauticallychallenged birds into puffs of drifting feathers with buckshot； and showing no mental agilitywhatever beyond that needed to read the times or play a hand of cards。 then he discoveredan interest in rocks and became with rather astounding swiftness a titan of geologicalthinking。
then there was dr。 james parkinson； who was also an early socialist and author of manyprovocative pamphlets with titles like 鈥渞evolution without bloodshed。鈥潯n 1794； he wasimplicated in a faintly lunatic…sounding conspiracy called 鈥渢he pop…gun plot；鈥潯n which it wasplanned to shoot king george iii in the neck with a poisoned dart as he sat in his box at thetheater。 parkinson was hauled before the privy council for questioning and came within anace of being dispatched in irons to australia before the charges against him were quietlydropped。 adopting a more conservative approach to life； he developed an interest in geologyand became one of the founding members of the geological society and the author of animportant geological text； organic remains of a former world； which remained in print forhalf a century。 he never caused trouble again。 today； however； we remember him for hislandmark study of the affliction then called the 鈥渟haking palsy；鈥潯ut known ever since asparkinson鈥檚 disease。 （parkinson had one other slight claim to fame。 in 1785； he becamepossibly the only person in history to win a natural history museum in a raffle。 the museum；in london鈥檚 leicester square； had been founded by sir ashton lever； who had driven himselfbankrupt with his unrestrained collecting of natural wonders。 parkinson kept the museum until1805； when he could no longer support it and the collection was broken up and sold。）not quite as remarkable in character but more influential than all the others bined wascharles lyell。 lyell was born in the year that hutton died and only seventy miles away； in thevillage of kinnordy。 though scottish by birth； he grew up in the far south of england； in thenew forest of hampshire； because his mother was convinced that scots were feckless drunks。
as was generally the pattern with nineteenth…century gentlemen scientists； lyell came from abackground of fortable wealth and intellectual vigor。 his father； also named charles； hadthe unusual distinction of being a leading authority on the poet dante and on mosses。
（orthotricium lyelli； which most visitors to the english countryside will at some time have saton； is named for him。） from his father lyell gained an interest in natural history； but it was atoxford； where he fell under the spell of the reverend william buckland鈥攈e of the flowinggowns鈥攖hat the young lyell began his lifelong devotion to geology。
buckland was a bit of a charming oddity。 he had some real achievements； but he isremembered at least as much for his eccentricities。 he was particularly noted for a menagerieof wild animals； some large and dangerous； that were allowed to roam through his house andgarden； and for his desire to eat his way through every animal in creation。 depending onwhim and availability； guests to buckland鈥檚 house might be served baked guinea pig； mice inbatter； roasted hedgehog； or boiled southeast asian sea slug。 buckland was able to find meritin them all； except the mon garden mole； which he declared disgusting。 almostinevitably； he became the leading authority on coprolites鈥攆ossilized feces鈥攁nd had a tablemade entirely out of his collection of specimens。
even when conducting serious science his manner was generally singular。 once mrs。
buckland found herself being shaken awake in the middle of the night； her husband crying inexcitement： 鈥渕y dear； i believe that cheirotherium 鈥檚 footsteps are undoubtedly testudinal。鈥�
together they hurried to the kitchen in their nightclothes。 mrs。 buckland made a flour paste；which she spread across the table； while the reverend buckland fetched the family tortoise。
plunking it onto the paste； they goaded it forward and discovered to their delight that itsfootprints did indeed match those of the fossil buckland had been studying。 charles darwinthought buckland a buffoon鈥攖hat was the word he used鈥攂ut lyell appeared to find himinspiring and liked him well enough to go touring with him in scotland in 1824。 it was soonafter this trip that lyell decided to abandon a career in law and devote himself to geology full…time。
lyell was extremely shortsighted and went through most of his life with a pained squint；which gave him a troubled air。 （eventually he would lose his sight altogether。） his other slightpeculiarity was the habit； when distracted by thought； of taking up improbable positions onfurniture鈥攍ying across two chairs at once or 鈥渞esting his head on the seat of a chair； whilestanding up鈥潯。╰o quote his friend darwin）。 often when lost in thought he would slink so lowin a chair that his buttocks would all but touch the floor。 lyell鈥檚 only real job in life was asprofessor of geology at king鈥檚 college in london from 1831 to 1833。 it was around this timethat he produced the principles of geology； published in three volumes between 1830 and1833； which in many ways consolidated and elaborated upon the thoughts first voiced byhutton a generation earlier。 （although lyell never read hutton in the original； he was a keenstudent of playfair鈥檚 reworked version。）between hutton鈥檚 day and lyell鈥檚 there arose a new geological controversy； which largelysuperseded； but is often confused with； the old neptunian鈥損lutonian dispute。 the new battlebecame an argument between catastrophism and uniformitarianism鈥攗nattractive terms for animportant and very long…running dispute。 catastrophists； as you might expect from the name；believed that the earth was shaped by abrupt cataclysmic events鈥攆loods principally； which iswhy catastrophism and neptunism are often wrongly bundled together。 catastrophism wasparticularly forting to clerics like buckland because it allowed them to incorporate thebiblical flood of noah into serious scientific discussions。 uniformitarians by contrast believedthat changes on earth were gradual and that nearly all earth processes happened slowly； overimmense spans of time。 hutton was much more the father of the notion than lyell； but it waslyell most people read； and so he became in most people鈥檚 minds； then and now； the father ofmodern geological thought。
lyell believed that the earth鈥檚 shifts were uniform and steady鈥攖hat everything that hadever happened in the past could be explained by events still going on today。 lyell and hisadherents didn鈥檛 just disdain catastrophism； they detested it。 catastrophists believed thatextinctions were part of a series in which animals were repeatedly wiped out and replacedwith new sets鈥攁 belief that the naturalist t。 h。 huxley mockingly likened to 鈥渁 succession ofrubbers of whist； at the end of which the players upset the table and called for a new pack。鈥潯twas too convenient a way to explain the unknown。 鈥渘ever was there a dogma more calculatedto foster indolence； and to blunt the keen edge of curiosity；鈥潯niffed lyell。
lyell鈥檚 oversights were not inconsiderable。 he failed to explain convincingly howmountain ranges were formed and overlooked glaciers as an agent of change。 he refused toaccept louis agassiz鈥檚 idea of ice ages鈥斺�渢he refrigeration of the globe；鈥潯s he dismissivelytermed it鈥攁nd was confident that mammals 鈥渨ould be found in the oldest fossiliferousbeds。鈥潯e rejected the notion that animals and plants suffered sudden annihilations； andbelieved that all the principal animal groups鈥攎ammals； reptiles； fish； and so on鈥攈adcoexisted since the dawn of time。 on all of these he would ultimately be proved wrong。
yet it would be nearly impossible to ove