Prof. Bailey on Fossil and Recent Infusoria. 323 



this label among the geological specimens brought home by the 

 Exploring Expedition. The other specimens which accompa- 

 nied it, contained marine shells. It is therefore probable that the 

 tertiary of Oregon may, like that of Europe, contain alternations 

 of fluviatile and marine deposits which have never been detected 

 in the tertiary formations of the eastern portions of the United 

 States. That the deposit in question is an ancient one, and pos- 

 sibly of extinct species, is rendered probable by the fact that none 

 of the species agree with the recent infusoria found by myself 

 entangled in a mass of Confervas attached to a Unio from Fort 

 George, Columbia River, neither do they agree with any of the 

 recent fresh-water forms figured by Ehrenberg as coming from 

 any part of North America. The recent forms on the Unio from 

 Columbia River much resembled those from the eastern portions 

 of the United States, and among them were the following. 



Gomphonema minutissimum, Gallionella aurichalcea, Euno- 

 tia Westermanni, Synedi'a uhia, Cocconema cymbiforme, one 

 species of Fragillaria, a minute Cocconeis, and a few spiculas of 

 Spongilla. 



II. Fossil Infusoria from the Bermuda Islands. — Some months 

 ago I received from M. Tuomey, Esq. of Petersburg, Ya. a fine , 

 specimen of infusorial earth, labelled '' Tripoli from Bermuda,'" 

 which he requested me to examine, and to inform him if the 

 forms which it contained were known to microscopic observers. 

 The only information with regard to the history of the specimen, 

 which I have yet been able to obtain is, that Mr. Tuomey re- 

 ceived it with its present label from some mineralogical corre- 

 spondent, and that he has no doubt that it came from Bermuda. 

 The belief that this is the true locality is confirmed by the ex- 

 amination of the specimen itself, which presents such a group of 

 microscopic forms as might be expected to occur at Bermuda — 

 numerous decidedly American forms being mingled with others 

 which have never before been detected at any locality. 



Finding that this matter was uncommonly rich, and a perfect 

 mine of beautiful nondescript forms, I determined at once to 

 place it in the hands of Ehrenberg, as the only person now qual- 

 ified to compare the species with those of all other parts of the 

 world, and to decide upon their novelty. I accordingly trans- 

 mitted to him a good supply of the earth from Bermuda, accom- 

 panied by outline sketches of some of the forms which appeared 



