III.—On certain anomalous Organisms which are concerned in the Formation of some of the Palæozoic Limestones

Extract

That many of the Palaeozoic limestones are more or less exten sively composed of the skeletons of various Invertebrate animals, sometimes in a perfect condition, sometimes more or less largely fragmentary, has long been known.incertain instances a microscopic investigation of these ancient calcareous sediments may fail to demonstrate the presence of organic remains, or may reveal but few of these. Thus there occur beds of lithographic limestone in the Palceozoic series which would seem to be simply of the nature of very finely levigated calcareous mud, the component grains of which were, however, doubtless derived, in the first instance, from the calcareous skeletons of animals.