PAEALLELISM OF THE QUEBEC GROUP. 31 



As the Point Levis and Phillipsburgh limestones are thus turned 

 out of the Taconic system by Emmons, and the graptolitic rocks 

 of the same localities refused admission into the primordial zone 

 by Barrande, Mr. Marcou will experience much difficulty in main- 

 taining his classification. 



Apparently in anticipation of this difficulty, he says, that the 

 limestones in question, are centres of creation, and that the fossils 

 are groups of Lower Silurian types which made their appearance 

 in the ocean during the primordial period. They are thus Silu- 

 rian colonies in the primordial zone. But he does not give any 

 facts in proof of this theory. He seems to ignore the inflexible 

 rule to which every investigator must submit, that he who ad- 

 vances a new proposition in science, must furnish the public with 

 the proof. He has the affirmative side of the question, and the 

 onus probandi lies upon him. Thus, in endeavouring to point out 

 the geological age of the Quebec group, we laid our proofs before 

 the scientific world ; we published our facts. Every fossil species 

 described and figured, is a natural fact, upon which a scientific man 

 may reason, and from which he can draw conclusions. The first 

 step Mr. Marcou must take, in order to establish his classification, 

 is to prove that the slates, in which the lenticular masses of lime- 

 stones holding his colonies are imbedded, belong to the primor- 

 dial zone. He can only do this, by palaeontology, or, by phy- 

 sical geology. A vast proportion of these slates hold no fossils 

 at all, or at least, none have been found in them ; and therefore 

 their age cannot be determined by paleontology. The remaining 

 portion do, it is true, hold fossils, but they are not primordial ; 

 they are all either Lower Silurian types, or such as are common 

 to the first and second faunae. In addition to the graptolites we 

 have Obolella desiderata, Lingula Irene, L. Quebecensis, Ortkis 

 (two species one of which seems to be 0. electra, and the other 

 0. gemmicala, Stropliomena, (1 species) Shumardia granulosa, 

 and a new species of Asaphus with a ribbed pygidium like that of 

 A. Canadensis. There are as I am informed between forty and 

 fifty species of graptolites belonging to several genera, I have 

 also a specimen of an obscure fossil which may be a Tetradium. 

 According to palaeontology this group of fossils belongs to the 

 second fauna, and is not primordial. It furnishes therefore a point- 

 blank contradiction to Mr. Marcou's classification. It must be 

 borne in mind, that these slates, are not of the same age as those 

 of Georgia in Vermont, which are characterised by the presence 



