Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-09-14
The northumberland apd
Cephalopoda," of the Early
Geological Ages.

Is an apt quotation. A scientific
young gentleman of our city, who
apparently reads your paper, wishes
us to oe more specific on the fossil
remains belonging to the sea and
land; which is little too much fol
us to do in a column of the TRIB
UNE, as such an undertaking would
embrace among bodies belonging tc
the sea: Shells, corals, sponges, star.
fish, reptiles resembling crocodIes
fishes, cetacea, or the whale tribe
cruslacea and sea plants; among
bodies belonging to the land: Shells
found in lakes and rivers, land shells,
quadrupeds, reptiles, birds. insects,
stems of trees and wood, plants and
leaves, and bodies found in the Sec
ondary and Tertiary strata, all Of
which is but small part of the
wonderful realities Of the geology
of the world we live in.
That is our preamble, suited to the
the statement 1t is probably un
necessary to observe, that your cor
respondent lays no claim to the
position of a geologist, being mere
learner himself, he can offer the
reader no other guidance than that
of companionship in establishing
an intimacy with the subject Of
geology by introducing it to bis
notice as "A tale of novelty. We
are, indeed, peculiarly placed in this
respect. As community, we are
still in some sense, half aliens to
the character Of the country in
which Providence has placed us,
and, perhaps, ignorant regarding
the creatures which held the sea and
land as their own for Il space Of
time, vast beyond all that we can
suppose at the present hour.
But there is a pleasant task await
ing us, and we may all if we choose
learn something Of the geological
arrangement, and meaning of the
world we inhabit, of which we form
but an atom.
Continuing with some of these
fossil creatures peculiar to the Silur
ian age, in which the first traces of
vegetation are visible, we notice the
Crlnoidea family, section of the
animal kingdom, Of a very remark
able structure. a fossil animal call
ed the Lilly Encrinite resembles that
flower upon It's stalk, fixed at the
lower end to the sea-bottom, and
bearing at the top cup-like body,
with n mouth III the center, and
numerous arms for the sc zure of its
prey. The stalk is composed Of n
number of caicareous or bony sub
substance, connected with a muscu-
lar integument capable of bending
il all directions. The bones of the
stalk are perforated through their
whole leugth, like the vertebral
canal in the human species. The
joints when separated have figured
surfaces, the figure being different
at different parts of the stalk As
many as 10000 bones have been
reckoned to 90 to the composition of
a single animal of this species. The
bottom Of the seas and oceans were
studded with innumerahle numbers
of such animals; forests of them
looming up from the bottom and
spreading ont their far-rcaching tan
tacula, for prey, and looking like a
vast field of tulips waving in the
wind being the only idea we can
give OF it, using our own magma
ton. Fragments and single bones
of the Crinoidea are to he found in
vast quantities in the early rocks.
This family of radiated animals,
consisting of many extinct genera
and species, has not wholly disap-
peared like the Trilobite and Am
monte; but the Lily Eucrinite, we
have been more particularly describ-
ing. haa been extinct ever since the
period when the New Red Sandstone
was deposited. Hence it is only
found in a Limestone associated
with tbs n Il. Sandstone.
The Cephalopods were an order
occupying univalye shells, and so
high in organization rs usually to
possess an internal bony skeleton.
OF this order there are still repre-
sentatvcs in our seas. Acting the
part Of butchers of the marine ami
NAL world, they prolonged their own
existence, keeping within bounds
the redundant animal life around
them, of which nature is ever SO
prodigal. The most remarkable
species Of this order were the Maui
till and the Ammonites, The exist
ing Nautilus has enabled the geolo-
gist To arrive ut clear understand
ing of the economy of the Cephalo-
pod of ancient times, of which the
shells are now almost the sole re.
mains. The Cephalopod possessed
body resembling closed bag, con.
tanning a heart, stomach, and other
ORGANS. with n lead and prominent