4<;i 



THE AMEBIC AN NATURALIST 



[Vol. LIV 



is certainly not beyond reason to expect the preservation of 

 blood corpuscles. The subject is still an open one but this con- 

 tribution to the theory of fossilization, it is hoped, may help to 

 clear up the matter of the preservation of delicate objects. 



The fossilization of any of the blood crystals as suggested by 

 Seitz 1 is extremely improbable, since the evanescent nature of 

 the crystals of haemoglobin is well known. Whether the crystals 

 seen with the supposed blood corpuscles have resulted second- 

 arily from the disintegration of haemin crystals or whether the 

 whole appearance is due to chemical reactions in the incomplete 

 crystallization of inorganic substances is an open question. Still 

 we must not close our eyes to the possibility of discovery and 

 block the way to progress by saying it is either one or the other. 

 This paper merely opens the field. 



Roy L. Moodie 



