74: 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



be^iring portions, liaro no pores ou them, aud thev form, by their 

 junctions ^ith the thicker bars, a series of quadrangular intei*spaces, 

 which give to this form the aspect from whence it derives its name. 

 These ancient Brvozoa. or Sea-mats (Polvzoa of some authors), seem 

 to have been strewn over the bottom of the carboniferous sea in this 

 locality in such profusion that they now constitute by far the largest 

 portion of the organic remains of the limestone of Hook Point. 



Several forms of shells are met with among the fossils of Hook 

 Point, but these are by no means so abundant as the Bryozoa ; neither 

 do they occur in such profusion as in many other localities of the 

 Carboniferous Formation, as this is developed in other parts of Ii*eland, 

 or in some of the areas of Great Britain where these deposits appear. 



Thei*e is one circumst;ince in connexion with the fossils which occur 

 in the limestone of Hook of much importAuce, — this is the fine state 

 of perfection in which they are seen. The Biyozoa stand out in 

 beautiful relief from the mass of the dark-coloured matrix which 

 contains them. The calcareous habitations of these ancient occupants 

 of a former sea have a white bleached-like aspect, which contrasts 

 strongly with the dark limestone, and adds much to the interest of 

 these ancient remains. The soft nature of the imbedding mati'ix is 

 the origin of this beauty and perfection of the fossils. The clayey 

 limestone yields easily to the influence of the sea, and portions become 

 decomposed and separated from the organisms which are contained 

 therein, allowing these latter to present themselves in a state of high 

 relief, and affording to the paleontologist opportunities of obtiiining a 

 knowledge not only of the dwellings, but also of the bodies, of the 

 creatm*es which foshioned these stony abodes. 



These antique records of an eai'ly epoch in our earth s history, from 

 whence we obtain a knowledge of some of the creatm-es which hare 

 enjoyed their little all of life" in seas of ancient times, speak to us 

 of periods so long and so remote, that the mind foils even to gi'asp the 

 amount of time consumed dming their existence as species upon our 

 planet. Man measures his periods by motion ; he counts his days, 

 and months, and yeai*s by the revolution of his earth and those celes- 

 tial bodies which are the companions of his world in '* heavens with 

 hollo wness."' Days, and months, and years rolled by in periods long 

 antecedent to man's advent upon this earth : the sun gilded tlie 



