The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1868-12-17
GEOLOGY No. 8.
Translated from the German of Lenohard
for the Democratic Press 60
SFUsoRIA

ISFUsORIA
further increase by the bad formation
since, as it were, a new individua
creature as layer shoots forth out o
the old-as well as the self-diyision
whereby, in the body, notch ap
pears, which ever cuts deeper ant
deeper until both halves fall from ON,
another, and quickly new individual
are completely formed. All thes,
methods Of increase put together, tn
vast extension and multiplication o
certain species in both continents ar,
easily comprehended, since the multi
tudes of these animalcula are 81
nearly infinite, so huge that we car
scarcely Imagine these sums of life
They are to be found in all the water
of the earth, but we do not meet Will
them in similar thick masses, in al
places and at all times.
% At present about Thousand species
of infusoria are known; of these
however, only fifty kinds at most art
found to be greatly extended an6
4iFiHg together in Large number
Most of them remain invisible to the
naked eye, or appear only as movable
points. The largest of them scarcely
reach a line in diameter, and the
smallest, seen through microscope,
have diameter only Of two thou
sandth part of line. At the lowest
estimate, an extremely clear magnify
ing of three hundred times is neces-
sary in order to bring the little
creatures to distinct view, or to a
{ conviction of their real existence.
FIREsToNEs. 2l
These mineral bodies, consisting al
most wholly. of silicious earth, what
ever may be their form and color, as
their fracture and finely divided leaves
prove, contain infusorial shells and
coats of mail in vast multitude. In
the firestones of Deletsch, between
Wittenberg and Leipzig, we meet with
such remains of known kinds, and
doubtless and with species almost even
now existing, whose forms are re-
markable and peculiar; some of the
same bear strong resemblance to the
light animazculg of the Baltic Sea, de-
sc !ibed by Ehrenberg. "a ssibsi>1
sEMIoPAL. !if..s ..sgE..-
In the semiopal, which occurs in the
region Of Biiin, in Bohemia, are found
infusofial remains, together with large
quantities Of translucent silicious
needles.
POLISHING SLATE.
This yelloWish white and very soft
stone, having fine earthly fracture,
consists of very small and beautiful
infusorial coats of mail. In Tripel-
Berge, near Kuclin, not far from Bilin,
bed of polishing slate occurs, which
has thickness of about four feet. 1t
occupies the summit of the hill as well
as a. portion of the slope. Here we
distinguish seven species of infnsoria,
among which the gallionella predomi-
mates. Gallionelle live very numer-
Gus in sea water; they possess simple
OF tWo-shelled coats of mail. The
polishing states of Planita, in Saxony,
as well as those of Habichtswalde.
near Kassel, are masses of infusoria1
shells. The polishing slate of Oran,
in Africa, consist of key OF honey
comb-formed bodies, having a very
regular cellular structure, produced by
8 sglll11cious organism; it also contains
impressions of fish.
KIEsELGUHR.
The silicious deposits, such as are
found near Santa Flora, in TUSCANY
also at Kymmene Gard, in Finland,
near Degenefors, on the Lapland bor-
der, and on the Isle de France-are
almost wholly formed of infusorial
coats of mail. In the localities above
named the species prove to belong
partly to the living partly to extinct
races. -
INFUsoRIAL STRATA IN THE LUNEBURG
HEATH. 4
Through examinations by boring,
which were made some years since
near Oberrhe, ON the southern border
of the Luneburg Heath, six places.
more or less distant from one another,
have been found, containing each a
strature of fine silicious earth. The
same stratum, having a breadth of at
least 250 PAGES, has been exhibited,
composed almost entirely of well pre-
served iayusorial coats ofmaiz, belong
ing to very various yet known species,
living at the present day, and in fresh
water. The stratum, whose upper |
portion 11ion iF is found to be white, remark
ably light and very loose, while the
greater mass of it lower down appears
bfownish gray, possesses a very con-
siderable thickness; it was not cut
through at the depth of twenty-eight
feet.
STRATA IN NORTH AMERICA, CONSISTING
OF BAcc1LLARIA COATS OF MAIL.
In the State of New York, at the
foot of the elevation on which Fort
Putnam once stood, aconsiderably ex-
tensive stratum,9tenl inches thick, oc-
cupies the soil of a drained marsh.
which is is wholly formed Of Baccsllarta
sofats s4f1Yt Of mail. These are infusoyia,
silicious coats of mail.
md are easily separated into zigzag-
Formed rattling chains, hooked with
one can another, having, by means of staff
ike limbs, the power of locomotion,
md were for a long time regarded as
plants, and were reckoned among the
sea- weeds. These and several species
nearest related to them, in spite of
their small sizes. Inust ba raror5a5