36 



THE UNIVEKSE. 



by regaining, through i3rodigious fecundity, what she loses 

 in bulk. Hence, as Lamarck has said, the vestiges of 

 some microscopic creatures have had more influence upon 



19. Magnified Miliola with its Capillary Appendages projected. 



the crust of the globe than those of elephants, rhinoceroses, 

 and whales, the size of which astonishes us. 



We have seen certain invisible organisms or sundry 

 microscopic shells produce great stratified rocks. If we 

 now examine other molluscs of the same group, but some- 

 what more ample in size, the nummulites, we are still more 

 astonished at the vast phenomena to which they have 

 given rise. We see them produce lofty chains of moun- 

 tains. 



The name of nummulites comes from their flattened 

 discoidal form, which resemliles that of a piece of money 

 or nummulus. It is from this appearance that they have 

 acquired the name of numismatic stones, by which they 

 are commonly known. Many of these shells are very 

 small; others attain the size of a lentil, a seed which they 

 often resemble exactly. 



These animals have accordingly played a great part at 

 different geological epochs. They are met with in prodi- 



