The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-06-25
gGiemEe.

PROF. MOEBIUS, Of Kiel, has examined
the 80. called organic nature of Cocoon, the
supposed fossil Foraminifer of the limestones
and serpentines of Laurentian age. His at
tention was drawn to the subject during his
recent trip to Mauritius, when he discovered
massive Carpenteria, supposed by some to
resemble Eozoon. In his memoir, which is
fully illustrated, the form and size of Cocoon,
as recognized by Dawson and Carpenter, and
their comparison of its structure with that of
certain Foraminifera, are given in some de-
tail; also the shape, size, and arrangement
Of the ''chamber- casts, concretions," ETC.;
the fbrous or nummuline layer" and
the "casts of canals are discussed, and the
structure of EOzoon, as o whole, compared
with that of Forsminifera. Moebius, who ia
an excellent observer and naturalist of
much general ability, having recently been
elected rector of the University of Kiel, gives
his geological reasons, and they sre weighty
ones, for rejecting the organic nature of this
substance. These are the absence of any
primary or central chamber, the apparently
cspricious distribution of both the 'tubuline
LAYER and the canals" the imposSibility
of representing the Eozoon as whole by
any drawing of one natural specimen. and
the consequent necessity of using diagram
matte figures to illustrate the reconstructed
body.
CAREFUL studies into the microscopical
structure of our Michigan Huronian clay
states, BY DR.. Arthur Wichman, as reported
in the "Qusrterly Journal of the Geological
Society" London, prove them to have been
of fracmental origin, chiefly of different
grades of kaolin. Occasional pieces Of
quartz, feldspar, and limOnite occur; and
in some layers carbon is very abundant,
amounting to as much as % per cent. of the
whole mass. The author regards this carbon
as Of organic origin; thus confirming the
growing conviction of our best American ge.
ologists that life existed in this age of the
world. A few crystals of tourmaline and
zircon and other minerals, disseminated
through the states, appear to have been
formed while the rock was yet plastic, after
original deposition as sediment. 1t was
the beginning of metamorphiSm.
IT WAS STATED by Prof. Packard in the
January number of the american Naturalist
that he had discovered male cells. This was
found to be an error, which was corrected in
the following number of the same magazine
Every effort was made to find the males !;
and, finally, after the examination of over
Eve hundred cells by himself, with the assis
lance of Mr.. j. S. Kingsley, three small, i'm
mature males we're discovered, the male spe
cimens, with many others, having been sup
piled by Mr.. Vinal n Edwards, at Woods
Holl, at the instance of Prof. Baird, U. S.
Fish Commissioner. The males do not diff
fer externally from the females, but are pro
badly smaller. This is the first time male
cells have been discovered in this country.
All the observations made confirm the accu.
racy of the observations of Syiski, an Italian,
who discovered the males of the European
eel. His discoveries have not been generally
accepted in Europe; but there is little doubt
but that his observations were correct and
should deserve recognition. Thus the mys-
terry of the mode of reproduction of this fish
which has bafied and misled so many, is
cleared up.
AFTER ten years Of study, A. R. c. Sell
wyn, director of the Geological Survey of
Canada, has stated his conclusions regarding
the age and equivalency of the various crys
talline schists of the Dominion. AS Mr.
Selwyn has had much experience in explor
ing similar formations in Great Britain and
Australia, his opinion is entitled to great con-
sideration. He restricts the Laurentian areas
removing all those gneisseS containing in
terstrstifed bands of cslcareous, argillaceous,
arenaceous, and conglomerstic Materials
The Huronian terraines are considerably ex
tended, adding to the original masses upon
Lakes Superior and Huron the upper copper
bearing rocks of the same region; the Hast
ings and Granville gneisSes; the Labrador
series of Logan; parts of the altered Quebec
group of Logan and the earlier crystalline
rocks of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and
Cape Breton. The Quebec group of Logan
he defines more fully, dividing itinto an older
crystalline schist group; middle volcanic
group, probably Cambrian; and the Upper
Lewis formation, fosailiferous division of
the Lower Silurisu. This classification rec
oguizes the fact that the rocks toward New
England are the oldest, and is in agreement
with the conclusions of the "New Hampshire
Geological Report" which are referred to
with special appreciation. This paper was
read before the Natural History Society of
Montreal, February Oath, and it marks an
other step of substantial progress in our
of the geological structure of the