Examination of " Eozoon." 275 



one that " lovetli truth better than system"*. No other alter- 

 native, however, is open to us but to leave Dr. Carpenter to 

 indulge in what he always imbues with a spirit of genuine 

 sincerity, though it may recoil on himself to an extent that 

 we, with others, cannot but regret. 



It will be recollected that in the May number a summary 

 was given of the evidences and arguments that have been ad- 

 vanced by us against the " eozoic doctrine." Of the twenty- 

 one points contained in that summary, Dr. Carpenter has only 

 grappled with two, the 9th and 19th (one relating to the 

 "nummulinewall," and the other to the " canal-system " f) ; the 

 rest, as may be presumed, appearing to him to be " entirely 

 destitute of logical force." Of course, those that are noticed 

 must be of a different character. Let us see how they are 

 treated, as we may then be able to judge whether he has not 

 displayed considerable exemplary discretion in not " troubling " 

 himself with the remainins; nineteen. 



'•'■ Nmnmuline WalV or Acicular Crust. 



In our first memoir we noticed the fact, previously men- 

 tioned by Dr. Carpenter, that the aciculas " sometimes pass off 

 "" so as to run for consider^ 

 " also his admission that 



* Exceptions to any objectionable rule ought to be frankly acknow- 

 ledged. " The accuracy of Prof. King's information of Micro-Palaeontology 

 may be estimated by the fact that when (about the same time) he made 

 his first acquaintance with the Orbulinn universa brought up in the ' Por- 

 cupine ' soundings off the west of Ireland, he forthwith described them 

 as not improbably affording the explanation of the granular concretionary 

 structure of the Oolites." I confess to feeling myself under great obliga- 

 tion to Dr. Carpenter for having drawn the reader's attention to a fact 

 nearly forgotten, and evidently of much importance in my favour ; but, 

 doubtless, influenced by a laudable desire not to occupy so prominent a 



Sosition as his share in them justly entitles him to take, my colleague felt 

 imself under the necessity of making- no reference to our joint micro- 

 palfeontological labours on Rhynchopora Gcinitziana, Spirifer cuspidatus, 

 and the "Histology of the Palliobranchs " that have appeared in preceding 

 volumes of the 'Annals' (1856, 1865, 1868, &c.) and other publications. 

 — W. K. 



t Dr. Carpenter, we find, makes some slight reference to two or thi-ee 

 other points. What he states in connexion with the IGth does not applj' 

 to our arguments, which were against his quasi-alchymical explanation 

 (see ' Intellectual Observer,' vol. vii. pp. 290 & 294) of a number of un- 

 toward difficulties fi-equently presented by the " proper wall " and " canal- 

 system,'' and which cannot he ignored in any criticism on these parts. As 

 to the 20th point, it must astonish those belonging to the Canadian Geo- 

 logical Survey to learu that all the essential features of " Eozoon " occur 

 in the highest state of preservation in specimens showing the least evi- 

 dence of any mineral change. 



19* 



