34 



himself as follows : " I suggested to my associates (de Verneuil and Von 

 Iveyserling), when we were at Moscow in October, 1841, that we should 

 employ the term Permian to represent, by one unambiguous geo- 

 graphical term, a varied mineral group, which neither in Germany nor 

 elsewhere had then received one collective name." The author adds, 

 in a foot-note, " Ir is true that the term Peheen was formerly proposed 

 by my eminent friend, M. d'Omalius d'Halloy; but as that name, 

 meaning sterile (M. d'Omalius does not translate Pe'neen by sterile, 

 but hy poor. — J. M.), was taken from an insulated mass of conglom- 

 erate near Malmedy in Belgium, in which nothing organic was ever 

 discovered, it was manifest that it could not be continued in use, as ap- 

 plied to a group which was rich in animal and vegetable productions." 



After stating the reasons which, according to his view, show the 

 " inapplicability of the new term Dyas," Mr. Murchison adds : — "I 

 claim no other merit on this point for my colleagues de Verneuil and 

 Von Keyserling, and myself, than that of having propounded, twenty 

 years ago, the name of " Permian," to embrace in one natural series 

 those subformations for which no collective name had been adopted. 

 I trust that, in accordance with those rules of priority which guide 

 naturalists, the word " Permian " will be maintained in geological 

 classification." 



In answer to this, I beg geologists to read the following extract : — 



" Peneen Formation. — The formation that we designate by the 

 epithet ^e»een (poor) has for its principal type the deposits of Thurin- 

 gia (M. d'Omalius does not mention the conglomerate, near Malmedy, 

 as a principal type. — J. M.), commonly known by the German names, 

 Zechstein, Kupferschiefer, and Todtliegende. The fossils are chiefly 

 the Paleoniscus, Platysomus, Pygopterus, Spirifer, etc." . . " Thurin- 

 gia being the classic ground of the Peneen formation, we shall cite it 

 as the type, etc." (See Elements de Geologie, by J. J. d'Omalius 

 d'Halloy, 3d edition, Paris, 1839; pp. 415-416.) 



In the second edition of his Elements de Geologie, published In 1834, 

 M. d'Omalius already uses the term " Peneen" to designate the Zech- 

 stein and the Rothllegende. 



This settles the question of priority. 



1834. — M. d'Omalius unites under the term Peneen Formation, the 

 Zechstein and the Rothllegende. 



1839. — M. d'Omalius continues the term Peneen. 



1840. — M. Kittel unites the Zechstein and the Rothllegende in one 



formation. (See Lehrhuck der Geognosie, by Naumann. 

 1842-45. — Mr. Murchison proposes the term ^'■Permian" to desig- 

 nate the vast series of beds of marls, schists, limestones, 

 sandstones, and conglomerates, east of the Volga (Russia), 

 which correspond to the whole of the Trias, and also to 

 the upper part only of the Peneen. 



