1866.] KING AND EOWNET — ^' EOZOONAL ROCK." 213 



roidal marble associated with Ophite in Connemara. In our days of 

 implicit belief, we naturally considered that these masses were reefs 

 of "eozoon," its "sarcode-chambers" having got filled with calcare- 

 ous instead of hydro -silicated magnesian infiltrations — or that they 

 were accumulations of its disintegrated " skeleton." But our sub- 

 sequent decalcifications and microscopic observations completely 

 failed in revealing the least vestige of foraminiferal structure. We 

 detected imbedded crystalline tufts, more or less agreeing with those 

 in the decalcified passages of Ophite, but no traces of '^ sarcode-cham- 

 bers " or their " proper wall." "We felt perplexed at this unlooked- 

 for absence of confirmatory evidence : in those days, however, our 

 scepticism was only dawning. 



The " intermediate skeleton " of both Canadian and Connemara 

 Ophite, when partially dissolved out, besides exhibiting the crystal- 

 line aggregations, shows what appears under a low power to be 

 white granular matter scattered over its surfaces, but which, under 

 a power above 100 diameters, is resolved into minute, short, slender, 

 bluntish, filiform crystals, generally simple, rarelj'- branching, twist- 

 ing, leaning, erect, or crooked — in the latter state appearing as if un- 

 able to hold themselves in an upright position ; they stand separated 

 from one another, or are packed together, forming bundles or lumps 

 — the latter semitransparent, and of a granular-crystalline structure. 

 The lumps, like the " amorphous masses," often block up the de- 

 calcified passages ; and they are intersected by well-developed 

 cleavage-partings, which appear to agree with those of diopside. 

 We have observed the filiform crystals disposed in lines, conforming 

 to the cleavage-partings of their imbedding calcite ; and in this way 

 they form plates, which, from occasionally connecting opposite 

 granules of serpentine, we have" little doubt have been taken for 

 *^ casts of stolon-passages." Alphonse Gages has evidently detected 

 the same things in dolomite from Miask. 



The filiform crystals, the bundles and lumps, and also the " amor- 

 phous masses " supposed to represent the " canal-system," as well as 

 the occasional coassociation of crystals of pyrites and fragments of 

 what appears to be titaniferous iron — the occurrence of all these 

 bodies in the " skeleton " shows that this part is far from being 

 " uniform and homogeneous " as conceived by Dr. Dawson. This 

 point, however, we do not regard as of much importance ; it is merely 

 introduced to show that if the organic origin of the calcareous septa 

 depended on the absence of foreign substances, their presence in these 

 parts must be accepted as supporting the opposite view. 



IX. Geological Considerations hearing on the nature of 

 " Eozoonal " Oj)7iite. 



There yet remains another class of evidences to be considered. 

 Bocks more or less agreeing with " eozoonal " Ophite occur, not only 

 in the Laurentian system, but in others representing mdely sepa- 

 rated geological periods. The "more abundant" masses of Ophite 

 found in the " Quebec series " or Upper Cambrian system are ap- 

 parently "eozoonal," being described as "granular" and "fine- 



