Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1846-06-04
THE ROMANCE OF GEoLoGY.-No. ".
EARLY GEOLOGICAL AGES.


The rocks, from the conclusion of the Old Re
Sandstone strata to that Of the Chalk SERIES for,
an assemblage called, TO distinguish them from H.
earlier rocks, the Secondary Formation. This Sc
condary formation is now finished. II saw the a,
ima creation advance from the simpler forms to q
abundance OF fishes and reptiles, with some fe
traces OF creatures OF higher organization-.remam
Of whale-like animals and OF creatures allied TO th
opossum having been found in the oolite. Durn
its progress uniform temperature. equal at lea.
to that ut the tropics, spread over the whole eart
and under this prevalent warmth there was ever,
where vegetation such as we now see confine :
to the torrd zone. The species of plants and an,
mails were all strkngy different from those of tn
present world; and at several stages there ha
been extensive changes OF the families of the lat
ter, some going out to appear no MORE while 9th
ers came into existence in their place. At th,
point which we have now reached, a close seems
to have come to many Of the earlier conditions. and
IN Tie subsequent age we sec dawn as it were
Of the present system of things.
ROCKS COMPOSED OF ANIMALCULEs
The fossils of the Territories are in some respects
more Interesting than those of any other series o
strata 1t is not in the humber classes of animals
that tins Interest chiefly lies aud yet even in this
department the Teriarics present US with a wonder
quite nneXamped. We refer to beds of greater or
less thickness composed exclusively of the solid
remains OF anlmacules creatures individually so
small, that only microscope could enable human
eyes to see them. Such rock (caleA TrpolD is
found in Bilin, in Bohemia, and at Planiiz, near
Zwckau, IN SaXony. 1t has been used as a pow
der in some of the arts for ages, without any sus-
plclon OF its being thus composed. But within the
last few years, Nj. Ehrenberg, scientific Prussian.
has fully ascertained that it consists simply and
wholly OF the scious coverings of certain minute
creatures, some of which belong to a species still
to be found IN sagnant waters. To common per
cepton, ihc powder of which the rock may be said
to consist resembles flour; and in Norway, where
1t is accordingly called berg mchl Chat is, noun.
tain-meaA it is actually used in times of famine as
foods for which is not entirely unsuitable seeing
that there is always a small per centage of animal
matter left in it, in addition to the sicious shields
So extremely small are the creatures of which these
rocks form the sepulchre, that, according to NJ.
Ehrcnbergs calculation, ten millions of millions of
individuals might be required to fill the space of q
cubic inch. Yet in the smallest of such creatures
there have been found several stomachs besides
other organs; and minute as the coverings neces
sarlly are, they found voriousy scuptured or
Marked so as to form distinctions Of species. These
circumstances certainly afford curious view not
only Of the wondrous power of the Creator, but of
the surprising extent to which his most interesting
productions the human mind has been fitted to 90
in research, by aid of instruments, the powers of
which are also of His institution.
The other invertebrate animals OF the Tertiary
are not remarkable except for their making grad
ual approach to the appearance of those which now
exist The earliest appearance of the serpent is
in the remains of one of large size probably elev
en- feet long, and resembling the boa constrctor)
which have been found in the London clay of the
Isle of Sheppey. 1t is such an animal as could on
ly live in tropical climate.