126 Barrande and the Taconic Spsteni — Marcou . 
What a record of progress entirely due to the adversaries of 
Taconic ideas. It would be easy to duplicate that dozen of 
“leaps in the dark,” but it is best not to abuse quotation; 
enough has been said of the “principles” used by the adversaries 
of the Taconic and of their “abrupt entrance into geological 
science,” to satisfy the appetite of those interested in the con¬ 
troversy. 
Honoring Professor Emmons.— However I shall call the 
attention, to another most extraordinary feature of the opposi¬ 
tion made by some of the adversaries of the Taconic. They 
say: “heartily honoring Professor Emmons for his earnest geo¬ 
logical labors and his discoveries” (Dana’s A brief history of 
Taconic ideas ); “Professor Emmons was right in his Berkshire 
stratigraphical observations” (Dana’s, The views of Professor 
Emmons on the Taconic system ); Dr. Emmons deserves great 
credit for the work that he did;” also “There is no doubt that 
Dr. Emmons was correct in classifying the upper Taconic as 
pre-Potsdam. To him belongs the credit of recognizing and 
describing the Middle Cambrian series of North America as a 
distinct formation, both on structural and paleontologic 
grounds;” and also “I cordially unite with M. Barrande and 
Professor Marcou in according to Dr. Emmons the credit of 
publishing the first fossils of the Primordial fauna in America” 
(Walcott’s* paper, 1886-88). 
Notwithstanding those fine sentiments expressed in such glow¬ 
ing language, Messrs. Dana and Walcott’s conclusions are an 
entire suppression of all the discoveries and good work of Dr. 
Emmons, the destruction of the best part of the national record 
of American geology, and the complete surrender to the English 
geologists of all the right of priority belonging to America. 
The friends of the Taconic have simply sustained Dr. 
* A few months after uttering those eulogies on Dr. Emmons, Mr. Wal¬ 
cott changed his attitude in regard to honoring Dr. Emmons’ researches 
and discoveries, in his paper: “The Taconic system of Emmons and the 
use of the name Taconic in geologic nomenclature.” Not only does he not 
honor any more Dr. Emmons, but he attacks him on every possible point, 
trying to crush to atoms all his discoveries and descriptions cm the paleon¬ 
tology, stratigraphy, lithology, nomenclature, use of the name Taconic, 
rightof priority, as a collector of fossils, and even as to the disappearance 
of his geological map from the first volume of the Agriculture of New York. 
What a pity that Mr. Walcott was not at Albany in 1846, for he would have 
obtained at the office of the secretary of state of the state of New York, 
the three thousand copies “stolen or destroyed” of that most important 
map. 
