These volumes, first published in 1838, contain a series of eight lectures which describe and explain early principles of geology, stratification and fossil plants and animals to a non-scientific audience. These detailed volumes became Mantell's most popular work, and provide a fascinating view of the study of geology and palaeontology during the early nineteenth century.
Volume 1: Lecture 1. Importance of geology. Nature of geology; Lecture 2. Animals; Lecture 3. Stratification. Fossils; Lecture 4. Secondary formations; Appendix. Volume 2: Lecture 5. Geographical distribution. Flora and fauna; Lecture 6. Organic and inorganic kingdoms of nature; Lecture 7. The carboniferous system; Lecture 8. The Silurian and Cambrian systems. Volcanos; Index.