252 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [November, 



to some the main interest is directed to solving the biological 

 character, or life cycle, to settle definitively its plant or animal 

 natnre ; to others to analyze and make clear the delusive and un- 

 settled structural characters of the inert frustule or shell ; toothers 

 the interest is largely commercial, forcing their admiration and en- 

 joyment by the beauty and attractiveness of their artistic arrange- 

 ment in svm metrical arranged groups and designs and type-plates ; 

 others by a desire to complete and possess an exhaustive collection 

 of all known species; others by their incidental and characteristic 

 importance in forming geological strata, past and present; others 

 in the skilful reproduction of them as microphotographic records ; 

 others in their nomenclature and classification ; others in pressing 

 the discoverv of new material or deposits and distribution of same, 

 while many labor with an immediate or remote hope that it may 

 fall to their fortune to establish a new genus or to name and de- 

 scribe a new species ; others test their skill in improving or alter- 

 ing the classificatory tables, revising and altering the families, 

 genera, and species, as new lights dawn. Diatomology is in its 

 nature the most catholic and universal science extant, as its pur- 

 suit binds together by the sympathetic bonds of reciprocity and 

 community of action every locality on the globe where science is 

 cultivated or the microscope is known and utilized ; it converges 

 and focalizes to a central objective point innumerable lines oi 

 activity, forever feeding the flame of interest by constantly pre- 

 senting some new addition in one branch or another, to gratify a 

 laudable curiosity and to convey a gentle and pleasing stimulus 

 to the mind. So let us have a science to be known as " Diato- 

 mology." It w^ould be comparatively easy to tabulate a list oi 

 names luminous with distinctions and laurels won in pressing 

 the study and perfection of the various subdivisions of this com- 

 prehensive field of scientific effort as previously alluded to, but 

 they are, no doubt, familiar to all who may peruse this essay. 

 The comparatively recent publication of Wolle's Diatomaceae of 

 North America removes the main obstacle heretofore existing to 

 the rapid advancement and expansion of this all-permeating and 

 fascinating study, to this extent at least, as it is within the reach 

 of everv one, and furnishes a ready means for the tyro or beginner 

 to launch out at once into the world of diatoms and wing his way 

 through its empyrean. 



The writer asks the indulgence of his readers, and justifies the 

 plea made herein, based on long experience in this branch of 

 microscopic science, having had the fortunate experience of put- 

 ting on record for the initial time the' occurrence of one fresh- 

 water fossil diatomaceous deposit, two marine fossil deposits, 

 one fluviatile marine deposit, and several deposits of lesser im- 

 portance, and dissemination of the material, in the fifteenth year 

 of his experience in this science ; and having personally handled 

 the leading fossil earths from every well-known locality, and 

 hiwing also examined and consulted all known accessible litera- 



