304 Fusion- Structures in. Meteorites. 



Coal, indeed, is iiniverscilly admitted to be of organic origin ; 

 as to graphite, however, different views seem to be entertained. 

 Yet it appears to admit of but little doubt that graphite is only 

 a modification of the same substance. At Port Henry and at 

 Ticonderoga, New York, graphite occurs in crystalline lime- 

 stone ; and if the graphite anthracite of Newport, E. I., be ex- 

 amined, there will be seen with the graphitic anthracite, coal-, 

 plants, distorted and forced somewhat out of form by the force 

 with which the action of metamorphism took place. 



A careful examination of different carbonaceous deposits, 

 will in fact reveal the gradual transition of peat to graphite, 

 through all the varying phases of development. There is no 

 abrupt change, no break or chasm, with coal on one side and 

 graphite on the other ; but step by step the gradation can be 

 traced, leading from the peat formation to the complete modi- 

 fication as graphite. 



Our present knowledge of the subject, however, does not 

 Avarrant the removal of the question from the field of hypothe- 

 sis and conjecture, as there may be influences at work of which 

 we are ignorant ; yet it certainly seems that the occurrence of 

 carbon in meteorites, as graphite, in an amorphous condition, 

 as hydro-carbon, presents a forcible argument as to life having 

 once played a part in the history of these world-fi'agments. 



And now, these preliminary inquiries disposed of, and it 

 being found that there is nothing in the existing conditions 

 which would preclude the i^ossihility of organic structures oc- 

 curring in meteorites, attention may be directed to the original 

 l)roblem presented, namely : — Are these fusion-structures of 

 organic origin ? 



The first step taken toward this end, was the study of sections 

 of typical corals, crinoids and sponges. When a knowledge of 

 these forms had been gained, I turned to the examination of 

 the meteoric sections, carefully searching for any structures that 

 would bear out the features of these organized bodies. What 

 forms I found, what outlines they presented, etc., have already 

 been detailed and need not here be repeated ; consideration will 

 now be given to the merits of the different arguments presented 

 in support of the claim that these structures are of organic 

 oris'in. 



