NATURALISTS SOCIETY 
♦ ■ 
SECTIONAL MEETINGS. 
From the Bristol Daily Post of March 22nd, 1865. 
Geological Section, Feb. 23rd. — Mr. W. Sanders, 
president, in the chair, the attendance of members and 
visitors being greater than usual, Mr. W. L. Carpenter 
read a paper on the Eozoon Canadense, the earliest kKown 
fossil, recently discovered in Cana^ia — the generic name 
signifying "dawn life." After a few preliminary remarks 
upon the circumstances under which the paper was prepared, 
the author stated that this fossil had been found in a series 
of beds which bad hitherto been considered as destitute of 
organic remains, and the position of which he described 
somewhat minutely, in Scotland, in central Europe, where 
they attained a thickness of 90,0C0 feet, and in Canada, 
where they were considered as forming three divisions. 
Upper and Lower Laurentian, and Huronian, the united 
thickness of which probably far surpassed that of all suc- 
ceeding rocks. The presence of organic remains in this 
series of rocks, both in Europe and America, bad long been 
suspected on mineralogical grounds, but it was not till the 
winter of 1863-64: that remains were found in the Lower 
Laurentian limestone, which proved to be undoubtedly 
organic, from careful microscopical examination. These 
fossils resembled some of the oldest known corals in ex- 
ternal appearance, occurring in large irregularly-shaped 
masses, but Dr. Dawson, of Montreal, discovered that their 
structure was most nearly allied to that of the Foramenifera, 
a group of animals of the very lowest f«rm of organisation, 
of which, however, the living recent examples were very 
minute— while these fossils were comparatively gigantic. 
Specimens had also been very carefully examined by Dr. 
Carpenter, whose knowledge of this group was exceedingly 
profound, auid who, while corroborating Dr. Dawson on the 
general reference, had been enabled to work out its affinities 
more accurately, and was disposed to regard it as of a rather 
higher type of organisation, considering that it had points in 
its structure found in three existing orders. The identification 
of the fossil turned upon minute structural differences, which 
could not be explained in a short report, but which were 
made evident by a series of drawings and preparations lent 
to Mr. Carpenter by his father. A vertical section of the 
fossil showed the limestone shell, the parts occupied by the 
animal when alive being filled with serpentine. Since its 
discovery in Canada it had been found in Ireland, and in 
the red serpentine of Cornwall, the recognition depending 
upon structure, only to be seen with the aid of the micro- 
scope. — A short discussion ensued, chiefly upon the enormous 
age of these Laurentian rocks, far exceeding anything pre- 
viously suspected. 
Zoological Section, Feb. 25th.— This was a prelimi- 
nary meeting to inaugurate the section. Mr. Leipner, as 
one of the general secretaries, occapied the chair. There 
was a good attendance of members interested, by whom Dr. 
Henry Fripp was elected president, and Mr. S. H. Swayne 
secretary, of the section. The rules for its government 
were passed, and it was agreed to meet on the evening of the 
first Wednesday in every month from October to May in- 
clusive, at half-past seven, zoological walks being taken 
during the summer months. 
