Il6 . THE DAWN OF LIFE 



Laurentian limestone, of altered limestones from the Primordial 

 and Silurian, and of serpentine marbles of all the varieties 

 furnished by our collections. They were examined with ordi- 

 nary and polarized light, and with every variety of illumination. 

 They were also examined as decalcified specimens, after the 

 carbonate of lime had been removed by acids. An extensive 

 series of notes and camera tracings were made of all the 

 appearances observed ; and of some of the more important 

 structures beautiful drawings were executed by the late Mr. 

 H. S. Smith, the then palaeontological draughtsman of the 

 Survey. The result of the whole investigation was a firm con- 

 viction that the structure was organic and foraminiferal, and 

 that it could be distinguished from any merely mineral or 

 crystalline forms occurring in these or other limestones. 



At this stage of the matter, and after exhibiting to Sir 

 William all the characteristic appearances, in comparison with 

 such concretionary, dendritic and crystalline structures as 

 most resembled them, and also with the structure of recent and 

 fossil Foraminifera, I suggested that the further prosecution 

 of the matter should be handed over to Mr. Billings, as 

 palaeontologist of the Survey. I was engaged in other re- 

 searches, not connected with the Survey or with this particular 

 department, and I knew that no little labour must be devoted 

 to the work and to its publication, and that some controversy 

 might be expected. Mr. Billings, however, with his character- 

 istic caution and modesty, declined. His hands were full of 

 other work. He had not given any special attention to the 

 microscopic appearances of Foraminifera or of mineral sub- 

 stances. It was finally arranged that I should prepare a de 

 scription of the fossil, which Sir William would .take to London, 

 along with the more important specimens, and a detailed list 

 stating all the structures observed in each. Sir William was to 

 submit the manuscript and specimens to Dr. Carpenter, or, 

 failing him, to Prof. T. Rupert Jones, in the hope that these 



