■P av;MAL matter in fossils. 



Yrtonsrrated some loose particles of a tender membrane, I re- 

 garded it as almost hopeless to attempt to detect any ani-^ 

 mal matter in a fossil body, which must have existed in a 

 mineralized state several thousand years; but as the result, 

 if successful, would prove highly interesting, I resolved on 

 the experiment. 

 Awwof the A fragment of the marble was therefore exposed to the 

 3Tin dilute action of the muriatic acid, in a very diluted state. As the 

 muriatic acid, calcareous earth dissolved, and the carbonic acid gas escaped, 

 and animal T was much pleased to observe the membranaceous subsf auce 



membrane de- Hppear depending from the marble, in tt&ht, flocculent, 



tnousnated. ; . ' --■ „ , 



elastic membranes. Many of these most unexpectedly re- 

 tained a very deep red colour, and appeared in a beautiful 

 and distinct manner, although not absolutely retaining the 

 form of the tubipore. 



Another in- Another curious specimen of marble exhibits a similar in- 



stance of animal membrane preserved for ages from destruc- 

 tion by being enchased in stone. This marble is of a 

 brownish red colour, much darker in its interstitial parts 

 than in the eorallites themselves, and is susceptible of a good 

 polish. The madrepore, which has entered into the forma- 

 tion of it, appears to have been of the smaller species, the 

 branches being about the size of a goosequill, 



Its colouring The diffusion of the red colour through this specimen re- 

 quires some little attention. It extends through every part 

 of the mass, and appears to have percolated through the 

 external part of the coral into its internal substance, in such 

 a manner that no gross substance has entered; the colouring 

 matter appearing to have been here deposited from its solu- 

 tion. That the colour has not been derived from the coral 

 itself, may safely be inferred : there appear therefore to be 

 two modes by which this colour may have been yielded. 

 Either the decomposed coral might have been imbedded in 

 a matrix, of which the oxide of iron formed a part, and 

 which by the wee e^s of a fit inens'trutnn became cnpaMe of 

 p-v.etrating through every part of the coral: or both the 

 coral and the surrounding matrix might derive their co- 

 lour from the influx of the coloured fluid derived from some 

 other source. In either '*as<\ it appears evident: that this 

 diffusion of the colouring matter, and its introduction into 



the, 



matter. 



