Observations Concerning Fossil Organic Remains. 105 



Coimpanied by others, which are indubitably marine; for the 

 reason, that they exist in too great abundance, and too con-' 

 stanrly in the same strata, to have been fluvi.itile, and acci- 

 dentally introduced. Now some of these Unios^ so called, 

 •which are also found in the oolite, and the lias, are also found 

 in the coal formation ; and as it is so probable thai the shells 

 ot the oolite are marine, we have, I think, very slender 

 grounds for calling those found in the coal formation, fluvialile. 



The formation of chalk is characterized by the family of 

 Echimies. The quantity of fossil remains of this family 

 alone, is certainly equal to that of all the other species found in 

 it. Thus also the Ostrea deltoidea is the most characteristic 

 shell in the oolite formation ; whilst in the red marl, we nev- 

 er find a single fossil remain, and, whilst the gypsum, le 

 gypse a ossemens, in the vicinity of Pans, owes its name to 

 the quantity of organic remains it contains. I raigiit multi- 

 ply examples, if I did not suppose, I had already cited a suf- 

 ficient number. We will then turn our attention to another 

 question which I deem of considerable importance. Is there 

 any constant connexion between the antiquity of strata, 

 and the similarity or dissimilarity of their contained fossils, 

 compared with existing animals ? 



The more ancient are any strata, that is, the more ancient 

 the formation with which they are connected, the greater 

 will be the dissimilarity of the fossil remains they contain, to 

 existing animals. This observation is generally true, as re- 

 lates to vegetables, to zoophytes, to vertebrate and inverte- 

 brate animals, as well as to quadrupeds, both oviparous and 

 viviparous. And on the contrary, the more recent is any 

 formation, the greater is the resemblance of its contained 

 fossils to living beings. Of this we may satisfy ourselves, 

 by consulting the distribution of organic remains in the 

 different rock formations, and the enumeration of fossil an- 

 imals according to the epochs of their appearance upon 

 the earth. 



The primitive formation of the Granite ; not yet alter- 

 nating with gneiss 5 complete in its constituent partf^ ; un- 

 stratified ; abounding in quartz ; fine grained ; destitute of 

 minerals which are foreign to its primitive composition ; 

 without subordinate beds of primitive limestone ; — the prim- 

 itive formations immediately succeeding the granite — gneiss, 

 gneissoid granite, granite intermediary between gneiss and 

 mica slate ; mica slate, clay slate, &c. forming along with 



Vol. XV.— No, L 14 



