The Earth:

Its Physical Condition and Most Remarkable Phenomena

by

W. Mullinger Higgins

Harper and Bros.

1858


Titlepage"


This electronic edition prepared by Dr. David C. Bossard
from original documents in his personal library

December, 2009.

Copyright © 2009 by David C. Bossard.

Acrobat PDF (148 Mb)


CONTENTS.



   001  002  003  004  005  006  007  008  009  010  011  012  013  014  015  016  017  018

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER019  020  021  022

Objects of physical science -- divisions of science -- influence of theory -- personal advantages derived from science -- proofs of design -- knowledge raises the standard of happiness -- pleasures of investigation-harmony of natural agents -- application of science to the arts -- effects of scientific knowledge -- origin of the physical sciences -- importance of the mathematics -- education.

CHAPTER I: THE EARTH IN RELATION TO THE UNIVERSE.  023  024  025  026  027  028  029  030  031  032  033  034  035  036  037  038  039  040  041  042  043  044  045  046  047  048  049

The form and dimensions of the earth -- revolution of the earth on its axis -- theory of the formation of the earth -- centrifugal force -- the pendulum -- the fixed stars -- the planets -- force of gravity -- curvilinear motion -- magnitude and distance of the planets -- day and night.

CHAPTER II.  CELESTIAL APPEARANCES.  050  051  052  053  054  055  056  057  058  059  060  061  062  063  064  065

Comets -- origin of astrology -- nebu1ae -- phases of the moon -- eclipses

CHAPTER IlL THE ATMOSPHERE AND ITS PHENOMENA.  066  067  068  069  070  071  072  073  074  075  076  077  078  079  080  081  082  083  084  085  086  087  088  089  090  091  092  093  094  095  096  097  098  099  100  101

Proofs of the existence of an atmosphere -- composition of air -- properties of the atmosphere -- transparency -- fluidity -- balloons -- expansibility of air -- pressure of the atmosphere -- barometers -- extent of the atmosphere -- air as aconductor of sound -- echoes -- wind

CHAPTER IV. ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENA DEFENDANT ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF HEAT. 102  103  104  105  106  107  108  109  110  111  112  113  114  115  116  117  118  119  120  121  122  123  124  125  126  127  128  129  130  131  132  133  134  135  136  137  138  139  140  141  142  143  144  145  146  147  148  149  150  151  152  153  154

Nature of heat -- dilatation by heat -- thermometers -- latent heat --  evaporation --  hygrometers -- clouds -- classification of clouds -- rain -- snow -- hail -- dew -- hoar-frost -- mist -- connexionof the sciences of heat and meteorology

CHAPTER V. PHENOMENA DEPENDANT ON THE DISTRIBUTION AND CONDITIONS OF LIGHT. 155  156  157  158  159  160  161  162  163  164  165  166  167  168  169  170  171  172  173  174  175  176  177  178  179  180  181  182  183  184  185  186

Production of light -- nature of light -- general facts -- -reflection  -- refraction -- twilight -- mirage  -- decomposition of
light by refraction -- decomposition of light by absorption -- colour of bodies -- colour of the clouds -- rainbow-- halo -- coronae -- parhelia -- the study of the science of optics

CHAPTER VI. PHENOMENA DEFENDANT ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRICITY. 187  188  189  190  191  192  193  194  195  196  197  198  199  200  201  202

Identity of electricity and the agent that produces lightning -- effects of lightning -- circumstances under which lightning is produced -- thunder-clouds -- lightning-conductors -- electrical condition of the atmosphere -- aurora borealis -- St. Elmo's light

CHAPTER VII. PHENOMENA DEPENDANT ON TERRESTRIAL MAGNETISM. 203  204  205  206  207  208  209  210  211  212  213  214  215  216  217  218

The loadstone -- magnetic attraction -- magnetic induction  -- polarity and induction --  variation of the magnetic needle -- annual change of the variation -- diurnal change of the variation -- the dip -- origin of terrestrial magnetism

CHAPTER VIII. INTERIOR OF THE EARTH. 219  220  221  222  223  224  225  226  227  228  229  230  231  232  233  234  235  236  237  238  239  240  241  242  243  244  245  246  247  248  249  250  251  252  253  254  255  256  257  258  259  260  261  262  263  264  265  266  267  268  269  270  271  272  273  274  275  276  277  278  279  280  281  282  283  284  285  286  287  288  289  290  291  292  293  294  295  296  297  298  299  300  301  302  303  304  305  306  307  308  309  310  311  312  313  314  315  316  317  318  319  320  321

Geological theories -- the crust of the earth -- general remarks -- the order of rocks -- stratification of rocks --  cleavage of rocks -- disturbed strata --  -- elevation or depression of strata --  classification of stratified rocks -- unstratified rocks  -- granitic rocks  -- trap -- rocks -- granitic and trap veins -- metallic veins -- coal measures -- organic remains -- reptiles -- fossilized remains of maminalia -- diluvian action -- superficial gravels -- boulders -- bone caverns -- formation of valleys -- temperature of the interior of the earth -- volcanoes  -- active volcanoes  -- phenomena resulting from volcanic activity -- volcanic islands -- earthquakes -- thermal springs  -- theories of volcanic action -- generalremarks

CHAPTER IX. LAND AND WATER. 322  323  324  325  326  327  328  329  330  331  332  333  334  335  336  337  338  339  340  341  342  343  344  345  346  347  348  349  350  351  352  353  354  355  356  357  358  359  360  361  362  363  364  365  366  367  368  369  370  371  372  373  374  375  376  377  378  379  380  381  382  383  384  385  386  387  388

Formation of land -- definitions -- continents -- mountains -- elevation of mountains -- M. de Beaumont's theory -- caverns -- springs -- glaciers -- rivers -- cascades and cateracts -- lakes -- the sea-level of the sea -- colour of the ocean -- phosphorescence of the sea -- temperature of the sea -- marine ice -- icebergs -- water-spouts -- waves  -- tides -- currents --  chymical composition of substances -- elementary substances -- cohesion --  crystallization -- chymical attraction -- composition of water


CHAPTER X. SUPERFICIAL TEMPERATURE OF THE EARTH. 389  390  391  392  393  394  395  396  397  398  399  400  401  402  403  404  405  406  407  408

The seasons -- mean temperature -- temperature of the sea -- climate -- temperature of the ancient earth -- conclusion

 



Prepared 10 December 2009 by David C. Bossard