Mr. H. J. Carter on " Eozoon canadense." 193 



foraminiferous structure. In vain do we look for that regularitj 

 of chamber-formation which, in tlie amorphous growth assigned 

 to the so-called Eozoon^ might be equally well assumed to be 

 identical with the heterogeneous mass of chambers on each 

 side of the central plane of Orhitoides disjmnscij accompanied 

 bj the transverse bars of stolouiferous structure uniting one 

 chamber to the other. In short, in vain do we look for the 

 casts of true foraminiferous chambers at all in the grains of 

 serpentine ; they, for the most part, are not subglobular, but 

 subprismatic. 



With such deficiencies I am at a lass to conceive how the 

 so-called Eozoon canadense can be identified with foramini- 

 ferous structure, except by the wildest conjectm'e ; and then 

 such identification no longer becomes of any scientific value. 



Having examined the slice of Laurentian Limestone which 

 you have so comleously submitted to me in thick and thin 

 polished sections mounted in Canada balsam, by transmitted 

 and also by reflected light, also the sm'face of the " decalcified " 

 slice as it came from you, in all directions with j- and 1-inch 

 focus compound powers respectively, I must unhesitatingly 

 declare that it presents no foraminiferous structure anywhere. 

 Xor does its structure bear so much resemblance to that of a 

 foraminiferous test as the legs of a table to those of a quadruped ; 

 while if such be the grounds on which geological inferences 

 are established, the sooner they are abandoned the better for 

 geology, the worse for sensationalism ! 



The contents of this letter are open to no controversy. My 

 knowledge of foraminiferous stnicture has been obtained step 

 by step, beginning with the recent and then going to the 

 fossilized forms, making and mounting my own sections, from 

 which afterwards my illustrations and descriptions have been 

 taken. If others who have pursued a similar course of in- 

 struction differ from me in what I have above stated, the ques- 

 tion can only be decided by a third party, not on verbal 

 arguments alone, but on a comparison of the actual specimens, 

 as prolonged disputation, in matters of opinion, soon disgusts 

 every body but the combatants, and can end in nothing but a 

 fearful waste of time that might be better employed. The 

 accompanying slide I must ask you kindly to return at your 

 convenience, as, you will admit, such specimens of foraminife- 

 rous structure are not so plentiful as Laurentian Limestone ! 



I am, dear Sir, 

 "The Cottage," Yours very truly, 



Budleigh-Salterton, Devon, H. J. CarTEE. 



29th December 1873. 



