. Relics of primeval life, beginning of life in the dawn of geological time. aphitic matter withorganic limestone, beds of iron ore, and metallicsulphides, greatly strengthens the probability of itsvegetable origin ; fifthly, that when we considerthe immense thickness and extent of the Eozoonaland graphitic limestones and iron ore deposits ofthe Laurentian, if we admit the organic origin ofthe limestone and graphite, we must be preparedto believe that the life of that early period, thoughit may have existed under low forms, was mostcopiously developed, and that it equalled, perhapssurpassed, i
. Relics of primeval life, beginning of life in the dawn of geological time. aphitic matter withorganic limestone, beds of iron ore, and metallicsulphides, greatly strengthens the probability of itsvegetable origin ; fifthly, that when we considerthe immense thickness and extent of the Eozoonaland graphitic limestones and iron ore deposits ofthe Laurentian, if we admit the organic origin ofthe limestone and graphite, we must be preparedto believe that the life of that early period, thoughit may have existed under low forms, was mostcopiously developed, and that it equalled, perhapssurpassed, in its results, in the way of geologicalaccumulation, that of any subsequent period. Let us take, in connection with all this, the factthat we are dealing with the deposits of the known to us—an ocean warm and abounding THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE CONTINENTS IO3 in the mineral matters suitable for the skeletons ofhumble animals, and fitted to nourish aquatic conditions were certainly favourable to an exu-berant development of the lower forms of marine. Figs. 20 and 21.—Bent and dislocated Quartzite, in contorted schists interstratijied zvith Gj-enville Lifuestone, near Montebello. The Qiiartzites have been broken and displaced, while the schists have been bentand twisted. In the immediate vicinity the same beds may be seen slightly in-clined and undisturbed. life; and in later times, when such conditions pre-vail, we generally find that life has been introducedto take advantage of them. The prudent farmerdoes not usually allow his best pasture to remain I04 RELICS OF PRIMEVAL LIFE untenanted with flocks and herds, and the GreatHusbandman of nature has, so far as we know, beensimilarly careful. I add two sections showing the local disturbancesof beds of quartzite and schist associated with theGrenville limestones (Figs. 20 and 2i, page 103). PROBABILITIES AS TO LAURENTIAN LIFE, ANDCONDITIONS OF ITS PRESERVATION 105 PROBABILITIES AS TO LAURENTIAN LIFE, ANDC
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