PRIMORDIAL FAUNA AND POINT LEVI FOSSILS, 285 
of the Quebec fossils certainly presents some curious and apparertly antagonistic 
results, as regards the assumed primordial character of the rocks in question. If, 
however, the fossiliferous beds of the Quebec series be not strictly “ primordial,” 
we can scarcely look upon them otherwise than as representing the base of Bar- 
rande’s second zone—the original view, we believe, of Mr. Billings; or rather 
perhaps, as constituting beds of passage between the first and second zones, and 
thus linking together the Primordial and Lower Silurian formations (specially so- 
called)—a fact of much interest. The dark shales which underlie the Quebec group, 
represent probably, as surmised by Sir William Logan, the true primordial series, 
But if these Quebec or Point Levi strata appear thus to be somewhat higher than 
the actual primordial zone, their fossil contents must compel us, at the same 
time, to regard them as occupying a lower horizon than that of the Hudson River 
deposits ; although it will probably be found, in the sequel, that throughout the 
whole of our lower fossiliferous rocks, from the earliest fossil-containing bed to 
the top at least of the Lower Silurian series, no strongly-marked lines of demar- 
eation can be drawn. Professor Hall objects to the Vermont trilobites being 
received as evidence of the age or position of the rocks in which they occur, on 
the plea that these trilobites are not true Oleni, but belong to other genera. If 
this be allowed, the type is nevertheless strongly Olenian, so to say, and, as such, 
evidently indicative of a low geological horizon. It might be urged against this, 
it is true, that the genus T7riarthrus, of the Utica Slate, belongs also to the same 
type; but the affinities of this latter lie, as it were, between Olenus and Calymene, 
an ascending type: whilst the Vermont forms hold an intermediate position 
between Olenus and Paradoxides. There is thus, between the two, an essential 
difference.—E. J. C.] 
In the Twelfth Annual Report of the Regents of the University 
upon the State Cabinet of Natural History, I published descriptions of 
three species of Trilobites from the shales of the town of Georgia in 
Vermont, referring them to the age of the Hudson River group. 
These trilobites had been in my possession for some two years or 
more; and knowing the great interest that would attach to them, 
whenever published, I had waited, hoping that some new facts might 
be brought out touching the stratigraphical relations of these rocks in 
the town of Georgia. 
After the descriptions had been printed and a few copies distributed, 
Tlearned that Sir William Logan was at that time actually investigating 
the rocks of that part of Vermont. Desiring to know the results of 
his latest researches in regard to the stratigraphical relations of these 
rocks, I withheld the final publication till the Meeting of the Ameri- 
can Association for the Advancement of Science, in Springfield, and 
there showed to Sir William my descriptions as they now stand in the 
Vou. VI. Vv 
