Lyell's Geological Texts

Abstract

RECENTLY, while referring to Charles Lyell' "Elements of Geology", it was found that the Yale Library copy, of date September 12, 1839, had been sent by the publishers to Benjamin Silliman. This was the first American edition from the first London edition as published by Kay Bros., Philadelphia, with 316 pages and 295 figures in the text. After one hundred years this fine text, one of the world's great books, should again be noted. Earlier, the same publishers had brought out an American edition of Lyell's "Principles of Geology", as was duly noted by Silliman in his Journal (now the American Journal of Science) at the time. Quoting: "Lyell has done much to recall geologists from extravagant speculations, and to allure them back to a course of strict induction; thus placing Geology side by side with the other sciences of observation".