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RELICS OF PRIMEVAL LIFE 



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were found, on analysis by Dr. Hunt, to be com- 

 posed of a new hydrous silicate, allied to serpentine, 

 and which he named loganite, but which seems to 

 be a mixture of different silicates. The form of this 

 mineral was not suspected to be of organic origin. 

 Some years after, in 1858, other specimens, differ- 

 ently mineralized with the minerals serpentine and 

 pyroxene, were found by Mr. J. McMullen, an 

 explorer in the service of the Geological Survey, 

 in the limestone of the Grand Calumet on the 

 river Ottawa. These seem to have at once struck 

 Sir W. E. Logan as resembling the Silurian fossils 

 known as Stromaioporce^ or layer-corals, and at that 

 time of quite uncertain nature, though supposed 

 to be allied to some kinds of modern corals. He 

 showed them to Mr. Billings, the palaeontologist of 

 the Survey, and to the writer, with this suggestion, 

 confirming it with the sagacious consideration that 

 inasmuch as the Ottawa and Burgess specimens 

 weie mineralized by different substances, yet were 

 alike in form, there was little probability that they 

 were merely mineral or concretionary. Mr. Billings 

 was naturally unwilling to risk his reputation in 

 affirming the organic nature of such specimens ; 

 and my own suggestion was that they should be 



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