EARLY DISCOVERIES BY THE MICROSCOPE. 33 



Europe and Africa, to India and China, and 

 also covers vast areas of North America, is found 

 to consist chiefly of microscopic remains. How 

 true the poet's words 



" The dust we tread upon was once alive !" 



The towns of Richmond and Petersburg, TJ. S., 

 it may be mentioned, are built of stones made 

 up of myriads of the silicious skeletons of these 

 organisms. The pavement of the quadrangle of 

 the Koyal Exchange of London is composed of 

 Turkey stone. It may be here also noticed as 

 an interesting fact, that the great Pyramid of 

 Egypt is built of nummulitic limestone. : The 

 operations of some of the lowest creatures in the 

 universe of God, are thus placed in contrast with 

 works which the mightiest of mankind have 

 raised. And how great the contrast ! For what 

 are the Pharaohs of Egypt, and their countless 

 hosts, and the toils endured by them through 

 centuries, and the Pyramids which they thus 

 reared, when compared with these invisible ani- 

 malcules these tiny servants of the Lord, 

 which, during the untold ages of the past, were 

 employed at Heaven's command, in fixing the 



1 Lyell's Elementary Geology, p. 231. 



