1P 



11 



arc Mtill visible' in it. for in ground pioceK for the mitroRcopo they 

 vtill shine through. This may he proved by dissolving the limestone 

 by means of acid. Here the leaves are perfectly covered with germ- 

 cells, the " warzenaufiutze " of (iimibel. This is still clearer wherever 

 the plant has been altered into dolomite. The brood-ct'll^s are then 

 visible withont the aid of the microscope. There appear, also, calyx- 

 like cells, clear as water, whidi liavr wiatliereil out upon tlif doln- 

 mite. 



'' But by far the most lu'autifu] are tlir limestones in which the 

 plants are changed, partly into serpentine, and partly into mica. 

 * ■* The same cells are oliserved in a spar, changed into copper and mala- 



chite, visible to the naked eye. The canal-systenis, theretori', of the 

 " intermediate skeleton" are the niit rosi oiiical plants wliiih, partly, 

 are simply of a limestone nature or have grown firmly upon large 

 algfe. or are deposited there, dead. As 1 remarked in the beginning, 

 a key to this new creation is, at all events, necessary. I say new. for 

 it is entirely new to our imagination. The microscopical forms con- 

 Htitute this key. Now from tiiese .safe premises we may easily come 

 to a conclusion ; but 1 must here caution against the exclusive use of 

 i ground microscopica! plates.' It is only by mere accident that, by 



' this means, a view is gained ; hundreds uf them may bt; made, but 



only a very trained eye can decipher them." 



It seems .scarcely necessf ry to criticise tlie above statements, 

 as it is probable that very tew naturalists will be disposed to 

 accept tlie supposed plants described by Dr. Hahu as veritable 

 species. It may be observed, however, that in regarding the 

 thick plates of .serpentine, interrupted, attached to each other at 

 intervals, penetrated by pillars of calcite, and becoming acervuline 

 upward, as fossil alga), he disregards all vegetable analogies; 

 while in supposing that the calcite is a tilling, and that the deli- 

 cate fillings of canals contained in it are fine thread-like algae, he 

 equally asserts what is improbable. Farther, no vegetable struc- 

 ture or remaitis of carbonaceous mutter have been discovered in 

 the serpentine. Had he discovered these supposed vegetable 

 forms in the graphite of the Laurentian, this would have been 

 ta,r more credible. 



Hahn's paper, however, suggests one or two points of interest 

 respecting Eozoon, which have perhaps not been sufficiently in- 

 sisted on. One of these is the occurrence of rounded ' cham- 

 berlets " in the calcareous walls. These are his "germ-cells," 



* If this is intended to apply to Cantidian and English students of 

 JSossoon, it is qui*^' Inaccurflte, as they have always employed deealcl- 

 ied specimens as well. 



