OP ARTS AND SCIENCES. 187 



*'I need not dwell on this point. We can discuss this question 

 when face to face. Only my remarks are not intended to convey the 

 slightest disparagement of his discoveries in that particular, and I be- 

 lieve, if he was here, he would no longer maintain tlie doctrine that 

 this group is Silurian. I shall wait with anxiety the reception of 

 your promised paper. You have already, as Colonel Jewett tells me, 

 stirred up my opponents, one of which took the Colonel to task a few 



days ago for his belief in the ' Emmonsian myth.' 



" E. Emmons." 



The promised paper spoken of in this last letter of Emmons was 

 my communication to the Boston Natural History Society, 17th Octo- 

 ber, Vol. VII. of the Proceedings, pp. 357 and 369, under the title of 

 " On the Primordial Fauna and the Taconic System, by Joachim Bar- 

 rande; with additional Notes by Jules Marcou." A very short resume 

 only appeared in the proceedings of the meeting of October 17. 

 Ilowevei", the priority of the discoveries of Emmons was stated ; also, 

 that " the Taconic system is equivalent to the Primordial fauna of 

 Barrande " ; and "Mr, Marcou considers this [the Potsdam sand- 

 stone] not the first fossiliferous stratum, but the last of a series con- 

 taining; the Primordial fauna." Finally, the memoir was accepted for 

 publication, and it was placed among the proceedings of the next 

 meeting, November 7. 



These statements were the starting-point, and the pivot on wliich 

 the evolution of the views regarding the Hudson River group as the 

 last and uppermost division of the second fauna revolved ; and the 

 Taconic system was again brought forward. 



Here follow, successively, and in their order of dates, the most im- 

 portant letters and notes. 



" Montreal, December 21, 1860. 

 " M. Jules Marcou. 



'• My dear Sir, — I have seen your paper in the Proceedings of 

 the Boston Natural History Society.* I think you are right when 

 you say that Emmons should have included tlie Potsdam in the Ta- 

 conic I very much wish this question [of the Taconic and 



Primordial zone] was settled, but I think it will be two or three years 

 before any conclusions that will satisfy all parties will be arrived at. 



* The sijinature of the slieet of tlie Proceedings is 24 December, 1860. So 

 copy or copies were sent, witiiout my knowledge, to Montreal, as early at least 

 as the 19th of December. 



