2 Thomas Herbert Marsland 



in both* parts. The irregular masses, however, seem to occur 

 only in the badly decomposed specimens. When the corkscrew 

 is well preserved, the gelatinous silica is either entirely want- 

 ing, or it occurs only in the tubes, which seem to be undoubt- 

 edly an integral part of Daemonelix. In some perfectly fossil- 

 ized specimens, such as were found in one spot near Squaw 



Canyon, the wax-like si- 

 lica is entirely wanting; 

 the tubes are hollow, their 

 gross and minute struc- 

 ture being perfectly pre- 

 served. 



The occurrence of this 

 silica in these fossils may 

 be looked upon as the re- 

 sult of the slow decom- 

 position of the organic 

 matter of the old Dae- 

 monelix, rather than as 

 the product of animal 

 waste,as has been claimed 

 by some writers. The 

 fact of its occurrence in 

 such great quantities, its 

 distribution throughout 

 the whole of the body, and 

 the fact that gelatinous 

 silicic acid is naturally formed at the present day by the slow 

 oozing of water through silicious material, must certainly 

 weaken the claim that this silica is the product of animal re- 

 fuse left in a gopher's burrow. Four characteristic specimens 

 obtained in 1895 are as follows. 



No. I. occurred in Hat plates several inches in extent, and in 

 irregularly shaped nodules, one-half to three-quarters inch in 



Fie;. 2. — A sinsriilar form of Dnemonflix procured 

 by the writer for tlip Morrill (Jeoioseai Experlitioii of 

 1895, on Fine liidpre, at Sqiinw Can.von A, B, C, nre 

 sections from the points lettered A, B, an<l C, respect- 

 ively, showinff (greater or lesser tubes filled witli i.'el- 

 atinous silicic acid. The plant structure of these 

 tubes is lost by decomposition. Heiwht of spiral X.'Zi 

 meters (4ft.): length of "rhizome" 2 meters (C.5ft.). 



126 



