Barrande on the Primordial Fauna and Taconic System. 215 
Vermont, in other words the Taconic system, will reproduce in Ameri 
Zoic faunze of America and that of the contemporaneous faunz of Europe, 
leaving to each the imprint peculiar to its continent. 
“T can well imagine, from the position previously taken by our learned 
American brethren on the subject of the Taconic system, that the final 
solution of which I speak will not be obtained without debate, and per- 
aps some wounding of self-love, for some opinions that appear to be 
dominant must be abandoned. 
“But experience has taught me that in such cases the most elevated 
minds turn always first to the light, and put themselves at the head of 
the movement of reform. Thus, when in 1850 I recognized the Primor- 
dial fauna in the Malvern Hills, where the second fauna only had been 
found, Sir Henry de la Beche and Sir Roderick Murchison were the first 
to adopt my views, to which little by little the other official geologists 
agreed; Edward Forbes ranged himself publicly on my side in 1853 in 
‘The Geological Survey,’ while others still hesitated, until now there is no 
longer any o ponent. 
“T think pt will be the same experience in America, and that in a 
few years from this time the opinions of your savans will have undergone 
* great hange as regards this question. Be 
Js a fine opportunity for Dr. Emmons to reproduce his former ob- 
Setvations and ideas with more success than in 1844. - 
“ Yours very truly, 
“ S 
3: BARRANDE.” 
