90 MICROSCOPICAL OBJECTS FOUND 



ferous corals, which constitute an important part 

 of the whole ; chiefly belonging to Ehrenberg's 

 groups of Textulinaria, Rotalina, Helicosorina, 

 and Plicatilia, associated with which are various 

 species of Flustra and other soft corallines. Co- 

 existing with these in considerable quantities are 

 portions of crustaceans and Echinodermata, various 

 broken shells, and small calcareous granules, — the 

 fragments of separated shell prisms ; whilst the 

 only atoms which appear to be inorganic are some 

 siliceous grains, apparently common sand. 



Also, that analogous accumulations are taking 

 place in other parts of the world, especially evident 

 in the case of the beaches accumulating on the 

 shores of existing seas ; but that in some of these, 

 especially on our own coasts, Foraminifera and 

 other perfect microscopic organisms are less nume- 

 rous, the preponderance being in favour of broken 

 shells, mixed up with minute crustaceans and 

 fragments of Echinoderms, along with various 

 proportions of inorganic detritus, especially sea 

 sand. 



That throughout an extensive range of Tertiary 

 strata we have undoubted proofs that the operation 

 of similar agencies led to their accumulation, and 



