THE PftE-ADAMITE EARTH. 



appears by its organic remains of 156 genera (exclusive of the 

 Annulata), of which 75 were new and 81 revived, having existed 

 in the former periods. It appears from the following table that 

 in this period the vertebrate animals were still limited to fishes, 

 but their number was considerably increased, having consisted of 

 only 8 genera in the preceding period, and of 26 in the present. 

 This period was also signalised by the first appearance of reptiles , 

 of which, however, one genus only, called the Sauropterus, was 



Synopsis of the Animal Kingdom (exclusive of the Annulata) during the 

 Third Palceozoic Period. 



created, being a large marine animal. Among the Annulata some 

 genera of Tubicolous Annelidans appeared so called from having 

 lived in tubes. Among the Crustacea as before, were some genera 

 of Trilobites, but the period took its prominent character from the 

 vast numbers of cephalopods, gastropods, lamellibranchia, bra- 

 chiopods, crinoids, and polyparia, which swarmed in the seas. 



277. The total number of species of mollusca and radiata alone, 

 which existed in this period, as ascertained by the organic 

 remains deposited in the stage, was 1198. These have been 

 catalogued and described.* 



The seas nourished marine plants, the discovery of many of 

 which is due to Mr. Hall, of the United States. The continents 

 were covered with a luxuriant vegetation, as appears from the 

 rich deposits of coal found in the great basin of Sabero in Spain, 

 which were long considered to have belonged to the succeeding 

 period. The uniformity of temperature over the whole surface of 



* Prodrome d'Orbigny, 52109. 



46 



