Excerpt from Air-Breathers of the Coal Period: Descriptive Account of the Remains of Land Animals Found in the Coal Formation of Nova Scotia, With Remarks on Their Bearing on Theories of the Formation of Coal and of the Origin of Species A certain moral obligation rests on the discoverer or possessor of new and valuable fossils, to make them known as extensively as possible to the scientific world. This he may do either personally or by the aid of others more conversant with the class of objects in question. I have generally preferred the latter course for all objects not included in my own special lines of investigation; and in the case of the subjects of the present brochure, have presented them, as discovered, to the investigation of naturalists specially engaged in the study of such remains. Through their kindness my specimens have been extensively illustrated, chiefly in the pages of the Journal of the Geological Society of London. I have, however, found it impossible to bring out in this way all the details desirable, and to present a connected view of the facts. Hence the present publication, in which I give a summary of all that I have been able to ascertain of the land animals of the coal period in Nova Scotia, and endeavour to make my collection of their fossil remains the common property of all geologists and naturalists, thereby discharging the obligations under which I am laid by having had these precious relics placed by Providence in my hands. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.