116 Ehrenberg’s Discoveries—Notices of Eminent Men. 
Arr. XII.—Notice of Prof. Ehrenberg’s Discoveries in relation to 
Fossil Animatcules ; also Notices of Deceased Members of the 
Geological Society of London, being extracts from the Address 
of Rev. Winuiam Wuewett, B. D. F. R. S., President of the 
Society ; delivered at the Annual Meeting, Feb. 15, 1839. 
Tue Council have adjudged the Wollaston medal for the pre- 
sent year to Prof. Ehrenberg, for his discoveries respecting fossil 
Infusoria and other microscopic objects contained in the materials 
of the earth’s strata. We all recollect the astonishment with 
which, nearly three years ago, we received the assertion, that 
Jarge masses of rock, and even whole strata, are composed 0 
the remains of microscopic animals. This assertion, made at 
that time by Professor Ehrenberg, has now not only been fully 
confirmed and very greatly extended by him, but it has assumed 
the character of one of the most important geological truths 
which have been brought to light in our time: for the connection 
of the present state of the earth with its condition at former pe 
riods of its history, a problem now always present to the mind of 
the philosophical geologist, receives new and unexpected illustra 
tion from these researches. Of about eighty species of fossil In- 
fusoria which have been discovered in various strata, almost the 
half are species which still exist in the waters: and thus these 
forms of life, so long overlooked as invisible specks of brute mat- 
ter, have a constancy and durability through the revolutions of 
the earth’s surface which are denied to animals of a more col 
spicuous size and organization. Again, we are so accustomed t 
receive new confirmations of our well-established geological doc 
trines, that the occurrence of such an event produces in us little 
surprise ; but if this were not so, we could not avoid being struck 
with one feature of Prof. Ehrenberg’s discoveries ;—that while 
the microscopic contents of the more recent strata are all freshW# 
ter Infusoria, those of the chalk are bodies (Peridiniwm Xanthi- 
dium, Fucoides,) which must, or at least can, live in the waters of 
the ocean. Nor has Prof. Ehrenberg been content with exami 
ing the rocks in which these objects occur. During the last tw° 
years he has been pursuing a highly interesting series of researches 
with a view of ascertaining in what manner these vast masses © 
minute animals ean have been accumulated. And_the result of 
