WHAT MAY BE LEARNED FROM EOZOON 1 63 



of the facts. We cannot yet obtain such series for all geological 

 time ; but it may even now be worth while to enquire, What do 

 we know as to any modification in the case of the primeval 

 Foraminifers, whether with reference to the derivation from 

 them of other Protozoa or of higher forms of life ? 



There is no link in geological fact to connect Eozoon with 

 any of the Mollusks, Radiates, or Crustaceans of the succeed- 

 ing Cambrian. What may be discovered in the future we can- 

 not conjecture ; but at present these stand before us as distinct 

 creations. It would of course be more probable that Eozoon 

 should be the ancestor of some of the Foraminifera of the 

 Primordial age, but strangely enough it is very dissimilar from 

 all these, except Cryptozoum and some forms of Stromatopora ; 

 and here, as already stated, the evidence of minute structure 

 fails to a great extent. Of actual facts, therefore, we have 

 none ; and those evolutionists who have regarded the dawn 

 animal as an evidence in their favour have been obliged to have 

 recourse to supposition and assumption. 



We may imagine Eozoon itself, however, to state its experi- 

 ence as follows : — " I, Eozoon Canadense, being a creature of 

 low organization and intelligence, and of practical turn, am no 

 theorist, but have a lively appreciation of such facts as I am 

 able to perceive. I found myself growing upon the sea bottom, 

 and know not whence I came. I grew and flourished for ages, 

 and found no let or hindrance to my expansion, and abundance 

 of food was always floated to me without my having to go in 

 search of it. At length a change came. Certain creatures 

 with hard snouts and jaws began to prey on me. Whence 

 they came I know not ; I cannot think that they came from 

 the germs which I had dispersed so abundantly throughout the 

 ocean. Unfortunately, just at the same time lime became a 

 little less abundant in the waters, perhaps because of the great 

 demands I myself had made, and thus it was not so easy as 

 before to produce a thick supplemental skeleton for defence. 



