THE HISTORY OF A DISCOVERY 1 29 



sliced, and examined microscopically ; and that if 

 fossils, as they presented merely concentric laminae 

 and no cells, they would probably prove to be 

 protozoa rather than corals. A few slices were 

 accordingly made, but no definite structure could 

 be detected. Nevertheless, Sir William Logan took 

 some of the specimens to the meeting of the Ameri- 

 can Association at Springfield, in 1859, and exhibited 

 them as possibly Laurentian fossils ; but the an- 

 nouncement was evidently received with some in- 

 credulity. In 1862 they were exhibited by Sir 

 William to some geological friends in London, but 

 he remarks that " few seemed disposed to believe in 

 their organic character, with the exception of my 

 friend Professor Ramsay." In 1863 the General Re- 

 port of the Geological Survey, summing up its work 

 to that time, was published, under the name of the 

 " Geology of Canada," and in this, at page 49, will be 

 found two figures of one of the Calumet specimens, 

 here reproduced, and which, though unaccompanied 

 with any specific name or technical description, were 

 referred to as probably Laurentian fossils (Figs. 26 

 and 27). 



About this time Dr. Hunt happened to mention to 

 me, in connection with a paper on the mineralization 



9 



