SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



165 



FoRAMINlFER/K IN MOUNTAIN LIMESTONE. — Not 



the least evidence of progress which science has 

 made during the present century is the way in 

 which geological knowledge has advanced. How 







Fig. 1. — x 30 diam. 

 Mountain Limestone containing Fok.\miniferj5 



different is our information as to the past history 

 of the earth and of its inhabitants and the 

 conditions under which the sedimentary rocks 

 were deposited, compared with that of the close of 

 the last century. The mountain limestone may be 

 taken as an example. By the intelligent and 

 persistent accumulation of observed facts connected 

 with its organic contents we know that it is built 

 up of the calcareous remains of marine animals, 

 such as shells of molluscs, echinoderms, corals, etc. 

 Even the fine compact parts, if prepared in thin 

 slides and examined with the microscope, reveal 

 tests of organic life still retaining the shape in 

 which the tiny inhabitants lived in that remote 

 period. These, the Foraminiferse, belong to the 

 lowest division of animals, the Protozoa, and, 

 small as they are, have played and are still playing 

 an important part, as rock builders, in the earth's 

 history. The white chalk rocks are almost entirely 

 composed of their remains ; and the tertiary or 

 numulitic limestone of Southern Europe and Asia 

 Minor is also the product chiefly of the same class 

 of animals. The photomicrograph fig. 1 is a 

 section of mountain limestone from near Skipton, . 

 in Yorkshire (x thirty diameters), while (fig. 2) is a 

 section cut from an erratic boulder found in the 

 River Wyre, Lancashire (also x thirty diameters). 



Loth show an abundance of the chambered shells 

 cut in sections. We have many examples from the 

 mountain and tertiary limestones. The abundance 

 of such forms of life tells us that the roi k > in which 

 they are found are of marine origin, and that at 

 the time of its accumulation the area in which 

 they occur must have been submerged and formed 

 in deep sea. If we examine a little of the ooze 

 from the bottom of the sea we find it almost 

 entirely composed of the descendants of these little 

 creatures, who can claim an ancestry reaching 

 back to the earliest geological records. Well 

 might the Rev. H. N. Hutchinson in his " Auto- 

 biography of the Earth," say: "Poor, frail, 

 invisible little foraminifer, is it given to you and 

 your countless progeny, so long unknown, uncared 

 for, to build up, on your abysmal graveyard, the 

 rocks on which in future ages men shall found their 

 cities, in which shall dwell the kingdoms and 

 democracies of future ages ? Is it for you, when 

 we are turned to useless dust, thus to serve man- 

 kind ? Oh, mighty privilege ! Oh, great destiny ! 

 And yet ours may be, and we believe will be, 

 greater still — to lay as firmly and as truly those 

 invisible foundations on which alone communities 

 may rest securely, of righteousness, judgment, 

 peace!" — W. W. Midglcy, F.R.Met.Soc, Museum, 

 Boltun ; July, 1895. 



Amateur Photographers. — The Editor of 

 "The Photogram," draws attention to the decline 

 of interest in societies of amateur photographers. 

 This applies equally to both sides of the Atlantic 

 Ocean. There seems to be little doubt that this 

 falling off in interest is real, though it does not 

 indicate an actual reduction among the workers at 

 photography on either continent. The manufac- 

 turers of cameras and photographers' material 

 were never more busy than this season, and are 

 generally far behind with orders, although working 

 overtime. The fact is, we imagine the fault lies 

 with some of the members themselves. We refer 

 especially to the class among photographers and 

 naturalists who attend meetings solely for the 

 purpose of criticising, and seldom help to find part 

 of the evening's entertainment. 



Fig. 2. — Limestone Boulder, x jo diam. 



