372 The American Geologist. June, isoo 
faunas of North America," p. 49, Washington, 1886, saying 
that their placing the "Top Sail Head strata" beneath the Par- 
adoxides beds, was ''without paleontologic and stratigraphic 
evidence," and now he proposes to replace that exploded mis- 
take, by a second and greater one if possible, in synchronizing 
the Olenellus fauna of Georgia and of the Rocky Mountain 
region with the Hohnia ( Olenellusf ) Ijrodggeri fauna of Top 
Sail Head, Brigus and Manuel's brook. 
Mr. Walcott's proposition to place the uppermost part of 
the Middle Taconic, which is the position truly occupied by 
the Georgia formation, below the Paradoxides zone and regard 
it as the lowest part of the Middle Taconic, which he calls 
Lower Cambrian, is not acceptable, for it is incorrect. Be- 
sides Mr, Walcott totally ignores the true Lower Taconic with 
its two great formations, the Esthonian and the Newfound- 
landian. 
It is regrettable to see such an extraordinary change in 
American classification, made in such a summary way, from 
publications issued officially by the United States Geological 
Survey in its Bulletins ; and what is still more strange is that 
the pretended correction is an error, for the Paradoxides beds 
of Braintree, St. Mary's bay and St. John (New Brunswick) 
are older than the Olenellus {ElUrptoce'phalus) beds of Bald 
mountain, Georgia, Bic Harbor, Eureka, etc. The most which 
can be said, is that the Georgia formation may be contempor- 
aneous and homotaxial with the uppermost beds of the Para- 
doxides beds. Such a transfer of a great group of a 3rd 
order of the Primordial fauna, is not so bad and confusing as 
the transfer of the whole Primordial fauna above the second 
fauna, as was advocated and maintained so long and with such 
force by Messrs. Hall, Logan and Dana. But it is no less to 
be regretted, and the list published by Mr. Walcott, pp. 388- 
389 {loG. cit.) in which he puts together all the fossils of 
the Georgia formation with those of the Scandinavian 
formation is very confusing, for in this list there are forms of 
fossil animals which have never lived together, all mixed 
without regard to their stratigraphic record. That list pre- 
sents a formidable front of 55 genera and 127 species for the 
American fauna of the Scandinavian formation, when in 
truth the number of species and varieties is about 25 or 30 at 
most. In due time the number of 50 species may be reached, 
