74 
THE GEOLOGIST. 
bearing portions, have no pores on them, and they form, by their 
junctions with the thicker bars, a series of quadrangular interspaces, 
which give to this form the aspect from whence it derives its name. 
These ancient Bryozoa, or Sea-mats (Polyzoa 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 Ireland, 
or in some of the areas of Great Britain where these deposits appear. 
There is one circumstance in connexion with the fossils which occur 
in the limestone of Hook of much importance, — this is the fine state 
of perfection in which they are seen. The Bryozoa stand out iu 
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. Tlie soft nature of the imbedding matrix 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 aff"ording to the paleontologist opportunities of obtaining a 
knowledge not only of the dwellings, but also of the bodies, of the 
creatures which fashioned these stony abodes. 
These antique records of an early epoch in our earth's history, from 
whence we obtain a knowledge of some of the creatures which have 
enjoyed ''their little all of life" in seas of ancient times, speak to us 
of periods so long and so remote, that the mind fails even to grasp the 
amount of time consumed during their existence as species upon our 
planet. Man measures his periods by motion ; he counts his days, 
and months, and years by the revolution of his earth and those celes- 
tial bodies which ai-e 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 the 
