a man who read everything； admitted he couldn’t getthrough it。
luckily hutton had a boswell in the form of john playfair； a professor of mathematics atthe university of edinburgh and a close friend； who could not only write silken prose but—thanks to many years at hutton’s elbow—actually understood what hutton was trying to say；most of the time。 in 1802； five years after hutton’s death； playfair produced a simplifiedexposition of the huttonian principles； entitled illustrations of the huttonian theory of theearth。 the book was gratefully received by those who took an active interest in geology；which in 1802 was not a large number。 that； however； was about to change。 and how。
in the winter of 1807； thirteen like…minded souls in london got together at the freemasonstavern at long acre； in covent garden； to form a dining club to be called the geologicalsociety。 the idea was to meet once a month to swap geological notions over a glass or two ofmadeira and a convivial dinner。 the price of the meal was set at a deliberately hefty fifteenshillings to discourage those whose qualifications were merely cerebral。 it soon becameapparent； however； that there was a demand for something more properly institutional； with apermanent headquarters； where people could gather to share and discuss new findings。 inbarely a decade membership grew to four hundred—still all gentlemen； of course—and thegeological was threatening to eclipse the royal as the premier scientific society in thecountry。
the members met twice a month from november until june； when virtually all of themwent off to spend the summer doing fieldwork。 these weren’t people with a pecuniary interestin minerals； you understand； or even academics for the most part； but simply gentlemen withthe wealth and time to indulge 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—positively grippedit—in 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 “a total want of literary attractiveness。”） and 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 “stone…breaking；” as 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 “revolution without bloodshed。” in 1794； he wasimplicated in a faintly lunatic…sounding conspiracy called “the pop…gun plot；” in 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 “shaking palsy；” but known ever since asparkinson’s 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’s 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—he of the flowinggowns—that 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’s 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—fossilized feces—and 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： “my dear； i believe that cheirotherium ’s footsteps are undoubtedly testudinal。”
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—that was the word he used—but 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—lying across two chairs at once or “resting his head on the seat of a chair； whilestanding up” （to 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’s only real job in life was asprofessor of geology at king’s 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’s reworked version。）between hutton’s day and lyell’s there arose a new geological controversy； which largelysuperseded； but is often confused with； the old neptunian–plutonian dispute。 the new battlebecame an argument between catastrophism and uniformitarianism—unattractive 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—floods 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 sc