Title: The American journal of science
Identifier: americanjourna3331887newh (find matches)
Year: 1880 (1880s)
Authors:
Subjects: Science
Publisher: New Haven : J. D. & E. S. Dana
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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376 Grataca/p—Eozoonal Rock of Manhattan Island. anthophyllite in masses, apparently recently blasted and re- moved from their beds of place, with which was seen actinolite largely serpen tinized. An examination of the hill showed a vertical face where Eozoon structure (ophio-calcite) was seen at a number of points. It appeared in seam-like bands, expand- ing in some places and contracting at others, forming an irreg- ular scattered prolongation of parts, varying in grain from fine to coarse, the former accompanying an apparent flexure or contortion of the original stratum. On the south side of 59th street, where the excavations were being made, mentioned above, an exposure of the serpentine bed was accessible where the ophio-calcite was seen, frequently presenting a seam-like appearance, contracting to narrow bands and again developed in broader sections, while sometimes it sporadically occupied nests or spots enclosed in the surrounding rock. Away from these parts the serpentine was fibrous or micaceous. Should any one feel disposed to refer these eozoonal-like portions (tig. 7) to an organic origin, the extended irregular
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vein-like parallel strips, which they present, would form a seemingly strong objection to such a reference. Coralline bodies occur in reefs or reef-like lines, but this mosaic of ser- pentine and calcite has nothing coralline about it in any sense, and when placed, as it only can be placed, on the assumption of its zoological affinities, with the protozoa or metazoa, it repels all analogies with any thing in those classes of animal life, by its linear extent, the actual length of these broken strings of ophio-calcite, being in the exposed sections, from 10 to 20 feet.* The films of this " verde antique" are not horizontal, but * It is true that Professor Hyatt (Science, vol. vi, p. 386) speaks of spongoid bodies Archceocyathus, Ethmophyllum, etc., as probably the reef-builders of the primordial seas, so that linear extent merely might not preclude the possibility of the eozoonal rock being referred to an organic origin. But when in connection with their length these eozoonal veins have only a moderate width of a few inches their reference to the reef-like masses of sponges seems incredible.

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