1867.J On the Structure and Affinities o/Eozoon Canadense. 503 



The gas occluded by iron, from a carbonaceous fire, is very different, 

 the prevailing gas then being carbonic oxide. Por comparison a 

 quantity of clean horseshoe nails was submitted to a similar distillation. 

 The gas collected from 23 '5 grammes of metal (3'01 cub. centims.) was — 



The metal has given 2 "66 times its volume of gas. The first portion 

 collected appeared to contain of hydrogen 35 per cent., of carbonic 

 oxide 50-3, of carbonic acid 77, and of nitrogen 7 per cent. The 

 latter portion collected gave more carbonic oxide (58 per cent.) with 

 less hydrogen (21 per cent.), no carbonic acid, the remainder nitrogen. 

 The predominance of carbonic oxide in its occluded gases appears to 

 attest the telluric origin of iron. 



Hydrogen has been recognized in the spectrum-analysis of the light 

 of the fixed stars, by Messrs. Huggins and Miller. The same gas con- 

 stitutes, according to the wide researches of Pather Secchi, the principal 

 element of a numerous class of stars, of which a Lyrse is the type. 

 The iron of Lenarto has no doubt come from such an atmosphere, in 

 which hydrogen greatly prevailed. This meteorite may be looked upon as 

 holding imprisoned within it, and beariug to us hydrogen of the stars. 



It has been found difficult, on trial, to impregnate malleable iron 

 with more than an equal volume of hydrogen, under the pressure of our 

 atmosphere. Now the meteoric iron gave up about three times that 

 amount, without being fully exhausted. The inference is that the 

 meteorite has been extruded from a dense atmosphere of hydrogen gas, 

 for which we must look beyond the light cometary matter floating 

 about within the limits of the solar system. 



V. Further Observations on the Structure and Affinities of Eozoon 

 Canadense'^ In a Letter to the President. By William B. Car- 

 penter, M.D., F.ll.S., F.L.S., F.G.S. Beceived May 9, 1867. 



When, on the 14th of December 1864!, I addressed you on the 

 subject of the remarkable discovery which had been recently made in 

 Canada, and submitted by Sir William Logan to myself for verifica- 

 tion, of a fossil belonging to the Foraminiferal type, occurring in large 

 masses in the Serpentine-limestones intercalated among dneissic and 

 other rocks in the Lower Laurentian formation, and therefore long- 

 anterior in Geological time to the earliest traces of life previously 

 observed, no doubts had been expressed as to the organic nature of this 

 body, which had received the designation Eozoon Canadense. 



Tiie announcement was soon afterwards made, that the Serpentine 

 Marble of Connemara, employed as an ornamental marble by builder.s 



VOL. XV. 3 T 



In 150 minutes 



In 120 minutes 



In 4 hours 30 minutes 



5 '40 cub. centims. 



7-98 „ 



University of London, May 9th, 1867. 



