1908-9.] ON THE ORIGIN OF THE CANADIAN APATITES. 513 
VII.—ConcLUSION. 
58. Several facts which have a bearing upon the problem of the origin 
of the Canadian apatites have been referred to in the preceding pages. 
They may be briefly summarized as follows: 
(1) Decaying organic matter has the power of absorbing phosphoric 
acid from water containing even a minute proportion in solution. 
(2) Every known deposit of mineral phosphate except the true 
apatites can be traced directly or indirectly to an organic origin.®” 
(3) Phosphates of known organic origin will take up the fluorine 
from water containing even an infinitesmal proportion, and thus tend to 
produce the stable apatite-molecule. 
(4) There are unmistakable evidences that this has actually been the 
case in earlier ages. 
(5) The surrounding rocks do not contain phosphoric acid either as 
apatite or a molecular mixture. 
(6) The Canadian apatites occur in deposits which are at least to a 
considerable extent bedded. 
(7) In association with the apatites occur calcium sulphate, in the 
form of anhydrite, a substance which is of undoubted sedimentary origin, 
and also calcite, gypsum, and magnetite whose mode of origin is apparently 
organic. 
(8) The colouring matter of the apatite as well as that of the adjacent 
calcite is an organic substance. 
(9) The apatite crystals, and to a lesser degree other associated 
minerals have been subsequently corroded, the associated calcite shows 
indications of similar alterations, and contains dissolved portions of the 
apatite. . 
59. From these facts it seems justifiable to deduce certain conclusions 
as to the stages through which the Canadian apatite deposits have passed 
before assuming their present condition. ‘These form the thesis which 
this dissertation endeavours to maintain. They are as follows: 
(1) The Canadian apatites are the final product of original accumu- 
32 Falding—Eng. Min. Jour. ’85, 
