NOTES AND Q1JEEIES. 
239 
NOTES AND QUEEIES. 
Decomposing Basalt — At page 139 we gave a view of the " Cheese 
Grotto" of Bertrich, Baden in the Eifel, in illustration of the peculiar 
spherical condition assumed in some cases by blocks of basalt. We give, 
in Plate XII., another excellent illustration of the phenomena presented 
by decomposing basalt, from an admirable sketch taken over the " Giants' 
Causeway," in Antrim, by our talented friend and geologist, Mr. G. V. Du 
Noyer. 
Human Eelics. — I have just received intelligence of a human skeleton 
having been found in a fissure in the limestone-rocks at Kellet, in Lan- 
cashire. The skull will be transmitted to me, and, should any abnormal 
peculiarities present themselves, will be described in the ' Geologist.' — 
May 26, 1862. Chaeles Caetee Blake. 
Mammalian Remains. — Remains of Elephas primigenius have been 
found nine feet deep in ferruginous sand, at Demblans (Jura), in the rail- 
way-works Besan9on and Bourg. These relics have been placed in the 
Museum at Lons-le-Saulnier. 
MicEoscopic Oeganisms in the Paljeozoic Rocks of New Yoek. 
— At Professor Dana's suggestion, Dr. M. C. White, well known for his 
devotion to the microscope, has examined various specimens of the horn- 
stone nodules found in the Devonian and Silurian rocks of New York, 
and this research has been rewarded by the discovery of abundant organ- 
isms referable to the Desmidite, besides a few Diatomacese, numerous 
spicula of sponges, and also fragments of the teeth of Gasteropods. Among 
the Desmids, there is a large variety of forms of Xanthidia supposed to be 
the Sporangia of Desmids, besides an occasional duplicated Desmid ; also 
lines of cells, some of which appear to be sparingly branched. The re- 
searches have been mostly confined to the hornstone of the Corniferous 
Microscopic organisms from Palseozoic rocks of New York. 
limestone ; though extended also to the hornstone from the Black River 
limestone and that of the Sub- Carboniferous limestone of Illinois, both of 
which contain some organisms. 
The hornstone nodules from the Black River limestone (as well as the 
Corniferous) have been since examined also by Mr. E. H. Bradley with 
similar results. 
These observations will be regarded with much interest by geologists as 
well as by microscopists. They carry back to a very early epoch forms of 
life which have hitherto been looked upon as belonging only to a much 
more recent era in the life of our planet. 
The analogy of these hornstone nodules to the flints of the chalk is 
obvious ; and the discoveries here announced may be regarded as esta- 
blishing their similarity in origin. The organisms figured so closely re- 
semble those of the flint that they might be taken for them ; it is difficult 
in all cases to make out a difference of species. 
