New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-09

FIGS l1rV s,sa tAE testa,nTriS
FSs go Trenton Period coTas o. Fasseia steitaaj
10 PetralG cOratouutH.
The Protozoaus were represented by a few differ
ept tribes of sponges; and the plants by sea-weeds
of several varieties though neither arc abundant
fossils of the period
| have thus far, however. hardly more than
touched upon the main point in the history OF the
Cephalop0d ard Lamelibranch Tor cutte-hsh and
OYSTER classes, and that is. how they probably
originated. As we have already seen, both are
wanting IN the Prmordial fauna, according to our
present knowledge, and both make their appearance
in the first phases of the succeeding fauna, or. in
America in the CalcifeTous epoch of the Canadian
Period The question is, where did they come fromH
will first speak of the Cephaopods. For the
past thirteen years or more NJ. Barrande has been
engaged in making an exhaustive study of this class
of mollusks. with a view of obtaining. far as pos
sible something like complete knowledge of the
structure and history of the old Silurian forms the
world over In executing this work he has. in real
ltv studied critically the fossil Cephalopods of
every S,luran region; and of the results thus
brought out are as surprising as they are valuable
and decisive OF especial interest the facts thus
learned respecting the first appearance OF the class
in time and as these bear directly upon the ques-
ton of origin shall endeavor to present briefly
the leading ones.
In the first place VI. Barrande shows that, during
the FIRST phases Of the Second Fauna" meaning.
by this term, all the animal types occurring be-
tween the highest beds of the PTimordia the one
hand and the lowest beds of the Upper Silurian on
the other,-an era covering in American geology.
both the Canadian and Trenton PeriOds,-twelve
distinct generic types of Cephaopods make their
hrst appearance, and that this was, moreover. the
time of first appearance of the class. The only
pbase of this fauna In America appealed 10 by Bar
rande IN his consideration of the phen nenOn of the
first appearance of these types, Is that represented
by the organic remains OF the Calciferous SandrOck.
The fact of the complete absence Of all representa-
tives of the class in the Primordia he regards as
of first Importance. He next takes mp the DIS
trihution both in time and space of these twelve
primitive types, and finds with regard to the
former that they are associated at the outset as
to preclude the idea of their having been derived
from each other and with regard to the latter, that,
considering the number, extent. and frequently
profound separation Of the regions which they thus
early ocauped, as well as all the facts known with
reference to their special distribution it is quite
evident that they could not have had common
starting point. These tyyes represented in the
first phases of the Second Fauna by 164 species;
and four of the genera Pilocras, Orthooeds, Endo-
ccras and LituiteS represent these phases alike III
the Old and New Worlds
NJ Barrande also points ont, that the number ~
of these primitive types of CephaopodS, constitutes
nearly one-half of the whole number l25) Of
types that appeared during PaeOzolc time, or dur
ing the Siluran, Devoniau and Carbonilerous ages;
and finally when commenting upon the phenome-
non of their sudden appearance in the same zone.
he remarks: :" 1t is impossible for the human
mind, in of all the archaeological facts to-day
known, to assign plausible cause for fact OF this
nature without having recourse TO the intervention
Of "a Creator"
An analogous fact, though of much less promi-
nence, is furnished by the class Acepnala. As
have already shown. this class first certainly APP
pears in American strata during the Calciferous
epoch of the Canadian period where it is rep
resented by single genus. In the Quebec
epoch the number was increased to two
or three, and in the Chazy to four or five.
- Figs. Il'l2.