. Bulletin of the Geological Society of America. Geology. PREVIOUS RECORDED EVIDENCE 103 been the subject of much controversy. Dawson (1878, page 82) says of the markings: "They are of very doubtful origin, and in my judgment more akin to those trails of aquatic animals which I have named ; Faribault (1887) appears to have regarded the form as inorganic, while Van Hise (1892) considered it a true fossil. In any view of the ease it has no value for determining age. In 1891 (page 26) Dawson says of the series: "It has unfortunately afforded no well characterized foss
. Bulletin of the Geological Society of America. Geology. PREVIOUS RECORDED EVIDENCE 103 been the subject of much controversy. Dawson (1878, page 82) says of the markings: "They are of very doubtful origin, and in my judgment more akin to those trails of aquatic animals which I have named ; Faribault (1887) appears to have regarded the form as inorganic, while Van Hise (1892) considered it a true fossil. In any view of the ease it has no value for determining age. In 1891 (page 26) Dawson says of the series: "It has unfortunately afforded no well characterized fossils. The markings called Eophyton and certain radiating bodies (Astropolithon) found in it are, however, similar to those occurring elsewhere in Lower Cambrian ; Bailey mentions (1898, page 55) on the surface of quartzite at Locke- port island, Shelburne county, "despite their highly metamorphic character, numerous well marked remains of Asteropolithon, the only evidence, if such they can be considered, of organic remains yet noticed in the Cambrian rocks of southwestern Nova ; PROBABLE IN ORGAN JC CHARACTER OF THE FOSSILS It is unfortunate that in these cases, as in all others of supposed fossils from the Meguma series with one exception, no illustrations have been published and no technical descriptions except the one noted from Daw- son. Moreover, the authors for the most part are hesitant about accept- ing the forms as organic, even while mentioning them as perhaps important. But, whether the objects referred to under the names Palseo- trochus, Eophyton, and Astropolithon are organic or not, they would appear to have no stratigraphic value, not being index or characteristic species or genera of any knowji horizons elsewhere. Our present knowledge of natural fractures in the rocks, purely inor- ganic in origin, discloses a close similarity between some of these and certain of the supposed fossils. The description by Dawson could well be applied to
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