Structure called Eozoon canadense. 377 



not have been the tubnli of a foraminiferal chamber ; while its 

 general occurrence makes the case concbisive. 



It is instructive, if not amusing, to compare the facsimile 

 illustrations of the eozoonal limestone given by the Galwaj 

 mineralogists with the " constructed " figure of the same given 

 by Dr. Carpenter's artist in the last number of the ' Annals ; ' 

 and thus it may be understood why I stated to Dr. Carpenter 

 that I had not read any thing that had been written on the 

 opposite side of the question, or words to this effect {I. c. p. 278) . 



Beyond this structure it is not necessary to go for conviction. 

 Of course the tubuli may not be seen in the arenaceous Fora- 

 minifera, vrhere sand supplies the place of a ctdcareous test, but 

 undoubtedly in the larger testaceous Foraminifera, where the 

 test is formed of lime ; and it so happens that to the structure 

 of these I have heretofore chiefly directed my attention. 



Before Schultze's or Carpenter's books were published, I 

 had described and illustrated, in the ' Annals,' the canal-system, 

 " nummuline " tubulation, and general sti'uctm-e of the Fora- 

 minifera, both in the recent Operculina and in the fossilized 

 Nummulite (' Annals,' 1852, vol. x. p. 161, pi. iv.). Even 

 Schultze in his book, as well as I can remember (for I have 

 not the work by me to refer to), gives me the credit of having 

 discovered the " canal-system," which at least proves the 

 priority of my publications ; and since then up to the present 

 time I have more or less occupied myself with the structure 

 of Foraminifera, as my papers in the ' Annals ' will show. 



Even during the last four years that I have been engaged 

 in the general and microscopical examination of the British- 

 Museum collection of sponges, for the purpose of bringing 

 them into some kind of order and arrangement in that insti- 

 tution, this study has not been neglected ; for, besides a vax-iety 

 of minute Foraminifera which I have found adhering to 

 these sponges, that have come from various parts of the world, 

 I have also had ample means of studying on them the beautiful 

 little roseate Polytrema ; so that I am able to speak decidedly 

 of the great resemblance which the late Prof. Schultze is re- 

 ported in the last number of the ' Annals ' to have stated to 

 exist between " Polytrema and Eozoon canadense^ 



As regards the " canal-system " in Polytrema, my mounted 

 sections do not show any ,• nor do I think it should be expected 

 that a foraminiferous structure merely consisting of cells 

 heaped upon one another with wide intercommunications, 

 finally terminated above in more or less erect branches, each 

 of which presents several large trumpet-shaped openings for 

 the exit of the body-sarcode, sliould require this " system." 

 However it is stated by Schultze to exist ; that is, the " Re- 



