IMPERFECTION OF THE GEOLOGICAL RECORD 5 I 



servation, except their horny beaks, nothing might remain to 

 indicate their presence except these marks on the bottom. 

 Mr. Matthew therefore conjectures that there may have been 

 large cuttlefishes in the Cambrian. Since, however, these are 

 animals of very high rank in their class, and are not certainly 

 known to us till a very much later period, their occurrence in 

 these old rocks would be a very remarkable and unexpected 

 fact. 



A discovery made by Walcott in the Western States since 

 Mr. Matthew's paper was written, throws fresh light on the 

 question. Remains of fishes have been found by the 

 former in the Cambro Silurian rocks nearly as far back as 

 Mr. Matthew's comb-tracks. Besides this, Pander in Russia 

 has found in these old rocks curious teeth, which he refers 

 conjecturally to fishes (Conodonts). Why may there not have 

 been in the Cambrian large fishes having, like the modern 

 sharks, cartilage or gristle instead of bone perhaps destitute 

 of scales, and with small teeth which have not yet been de- 

 tected. The fin rays of such fishes may have left the comb 

 tracks, and in support of this I may say that there are in the 

 Lower Carboniferous of Horton Bluff, in Nova Scotia, very 

 similar tracks in beds holding many remains of fishes. Which- 

 ever view we adopt we see good evidence that there were in 

 the early Cambrian animals of higher grade than we have yet 

 dreamt of. Observe, however, that if we could complete the 

 record in this point it would only give us higher forms of life 

 at an earlier time, and so push farther back their possible 

 development from lower forms. I fear, indeed, that I can 

 hold out little hopes to the evolutionists that a more complete 

 geological record would help them in any way. It would 

 possibly only render their position more difficult. 



But the saddest of all the possible defects of the geological 

 record is that it may want the beginning, and be like the 

 Bible of some of the German historical critics, from which they 



