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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 FROM THE TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA SECOND SERIES— X900-190Z VOLUME VI. SECTION IV ' QBOLOQICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES Synopsis of the Geology of Canada BEING A SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL TERMS EMPLOYED - IN CANADIAN GEOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE By HENRY M. AMI, M.A., D.Sc, P.G.S. W (Imed Match 25th, 1901.) POK IfLB BY vHOPB ft SONS, OTTAWA; THE COPP-CLAKK CO., TORONTO H, LONDON, ENGLAND ^U^f: ''li i Suction IV., 1900 [187] Thanh. R. S. C. IX. — Synopsis of the Geology of Canada. (Being a Summary of the principal terms employed in Canadian Geological Nomenclature.) By Henry M. Ami, M.A., D.Sc, F.G.S. (Read May 2!), 1!)00.) Introduction. In describing the various geological formations which compose the earth's crust in tlie ])oinini(m of {'anada it is the pur])osc ot! tiie writer to add such notes on the geological structure of other jjortions of British North America (which portions we hope Avill sooner or later form part of our great Dominion) as will show the relation which exists between them and its present divisions. For the sake of convenience, and to a great extent depending upon its physiographical as well as geological characters, lU'itish North Amer- ica will be divided into live sections or regions, and the descriptitms given of the various geological formations -will proceed, as nearly as possible, from the east in a westerly direction as follows : — I. — The Acadian liegxjn. comprising the Maritime provinces of Xova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, also Newfoundland and Gaspe peninsula, together with that portion of the province of Que- bec south-east of the great C]iamplaiii-A])palachian fault or disloca- tion which runs in the (Jidf and Eiver as well as along the south shore of the St. Lawrence through Quebec city, and west, to St. Nicholas, then to the north-east comer of Lake Champlain, and proceeding in a southerly direction through the New England States, as far south as Alabama. II. — The Lawrencian Lowlands, which extend from Aiilieosti west to the City of Quebec and to L^ke Huron including the Huron-Erie Peninsula of Ontario, South Eastern Ontario, the Ottawa Pakeozoic Basin, and the llat-lying Pala?ozoic sediments of the province of Quebec. III. — The Laurentian Highlands, which include the great penin- sula of Labrador to the cast of Hudson Bay and the Archaean country to the west and north-west of the same bay. IV. — The Interior Continental Plain, which runs north from the 49th parallel towards the Arctic ocean and embraces Manitoba, Assini- boia. Alberta, Saskatchewan, and portions of the districts of Athabasca, MacKenzie, and Franklin. Sec. IV., 1900. 10. "^ T 188 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA V. — The Curdilleran or British Columbia Ueijion, which extends across the Kocky mountain region of Canada, from Jie foot-liiils to the Pacific ocean, and includes the great Cordillei'an belt from the -iUth parallel to Alaska. The following table gives the list of geological systems recognized in Canada: Quaternary. Tertiary. Cretaceous. Jurassic. Triassic. Pennian. Carboniferous. Devonian. Silurian. Ordovician. Cambrian. Huronian. Laurentian. In dealing with the classification of the various formations of Can- ada included in the above systems find occurring in the five regions afore-mentioned the writer has been compelled to affix provisional for- mational names to various series of sedimentary rocks which have not as yet rece'ved any designation. He deems it, however, a case of dire necessity in this case, inasmuch as it is impossible to classify geological horizons or sub-divisions in the .strata of the earth's crust, as developed in Canada, according to the latest and most approved methods and in keeping with the classification of other geological f onnations in the fame systems in othej- parts of the world, without forma tional names. There are horizons and formations in Canada which are known only in terms descriptive of their lithological or palaeontological characters, combined in some cases Avith their economic relations, and these are not as a rule acceptable as geological terms of value in nomenclature. The Ly..uEENTiAN System. Of the three million six hundred and sixteen thousand nine hund- red and eighty square miles of territory in British North America, nearly two-third,3 of this area belongs to the Arch.Tan, which term is used to embrace both the rocks of the Laurentian ,in ^ those of the Huronian systems. The Laurentian constitutes the fundamental or older series in the Archaean. [ami] SYNUI'SIS iJF TIIK (iEUL(J(iY OF CANADA 180 The Acadian liegion.-Thi, Laurentiau system is well dovelopc'd in many portions of Cape Breton, Now Urun.swick, and Xowfoundland whore It consists of granitoid and foliated gneisses and syenites. In iNow Brunswick crystalline schists of the Port land group, the felspatiuc and chloritic gneisses of tlie St. Joiin region are assigu.d to this horizon by Dr. Matthew ajid Dr. Ells. The Boisdale and East Bay iu Is oi Cape Breton are also referred to the Laurentian by Mr Hugh Hotcher. Erom Cape Bay to Canada Bay and from llor„uta,J Bay to Cape ireels, two parallel belts of Laurentian rocks oeeur in Xow- foundland, The laurentian Highlands. -Hocks of the Laurentian sy-stem con- stitute nearly nine-tenths of the area of the great penins-lu c.f Labrador and according to Mr. A. P. Low, consist for the most part of foliated hornblende and granite-gneiss, such as occur in the fundamental or Ottawa gneiss, overlaid by mica gneisses and mica schists belonging to the Grenville Series. In the province of Quebec, north of the island of Montreal Dr Adams informs us that the fundamental gneiss consists larc^ely of igneous rocks, banded and foliated, owing to the movements and avran^e- ment amongst the constituents caused by pressure., These gneisses are penetrated e.eiyAvhere by other igneous masses, including the anorthosite rocks, belonging to the gabbro family, with plagioclase predominant. Ihese latter constitute the Norian or Upper Laurentian of Hunt and older geologists, but are known to cut the Grenville series also referred to .the Upper Laurentian and are therefore post-Grenvillian eruptives. In Central Ontario, Dr. Adams together with Dr. A. E Barlow agree m the statement that the Laurentian gneisses occur in that pro- vince, and occupy a large pgrtion of the area coloured as Arcluean where they consist of granitoid gneisses, diorites, and gabbros, all more' or less clearly foliated. Associated with these gneisses, in the two areas last mentioi ed, there occur the Grenville and Hastings series respectively These two are held to be probable equivalents and newer tlian the fundamental gneiss of the Laurentian. Dr. Barlow aptly describes the fundamental gneiss of the Lauren- tian as follows : — " It may possibly represent, in great part, the first-formed crust of the earth, which, necessarily thin and fragile, and so liable to frequent upswellmgs of the molten mass beneath, has undergone successive fusions and recementations before reaching its present condition. As at present mapped, it is regarded as a complex of irruptive plutonic rock« repre- senting repeated and intricate intrusions of basic and acidic material 10O KOYAL .SOCIETY OF CANADA Aldiough in muuy instances, and in limited areas, the succL'ssiun i)f euch irruptions cim be ascertained witli tolerable accuracy, any attempt to cwTelate this succession in detail over extended areas has invariably ended in more or less complete lailure." The UrcnviUc Series includes a small quantity of altered sediments, chielly limestones. The llasluajs Series consists of thinly bedded lime- stones and dolomites " cut through by great iutrusions oi gabbro, diohte and granite." In the Mipissing and Temiscaming regions more recently studied both in their llekl as well as pi_'U'>tgi'upliieai or muTd.-i'opieal cuaiMciLio, the Lam-entian rocks are divided by Dr. Harlow into two groups, as follows : — *' 1. An acidic (jruup: consisting of those foliated rocks similar in composition to granites, etc., to which they correspond, their differ- entiation being determined solely by their foliated texture, which, usually pronounced, is sometimes obscure and occasionally altogether absent. " II. .1 hiti^ic ijruiip: These rocks occur interbanded with the' more acidic gneisses and represent either basic segregated portions of the granite magma, or foliated basic irruptives allied to diorites, diabases, etc., caught up in it." In a careful petrographical study of the rocks of the Laurentian in this area. Dr. Barlow, in conjunction with Mr. W. I". I'crrier, liave recognized seven groups of acidic gneisses, besides two varieties of basic or hornblende gneisses. Except in limited and isolated basins, throughout the length and breadth of Ungava and Quebec as well as Labrador — forming the Labrador Peninsula and the right limb of. the great V-shaped Pro- taxis upon M'hich the Post-Archeean sediments were laid — ^Ir. A. P. Low has recognized Laurentian and Huronian rocks, in his numerous traverses. To the west of Hudson bay, there is, according to Mr. J. B. Tj'rrell, an extensive and undifferentiated mass of granites which represents in the main the fundamental gneisses of the southern part of the great Canadian Protaxis. They consist of granites and gneisses and other crystalline rocks which are similar in structure and chemical composi- tion to the fundamental gneisses (typical Laurentian) and newer crystal- line limestones (probably equivalent to the Grenville series) in the same portion of Canada. Northward, in the Athabasca lake and Churchill river basins, Tyrrell has also recognized Laurentian rocks which he describes as granitoid gneisses, hornblende and raica-graniteg, gabbros [ami] SYX(>l'!-;iS OF TIIK (iK()L()(iY OK CANADA 191 and iKiriti's, all of which havo been suhjuetod to crusliing nnd foliating ageiicieis. Thr Cnnlillmni lieniuii.—lu the ( ■nnlilh.mii iv-ioii (,r liritisli Co- luMil.ia thu Sclli .-ystem !;r.ve been n.'fem:,; the dinvjtcs, diabases, felsites and a.shroek of the "Coldbrooh Group" of New Bruns- \\'ick, besides epidotic and chloritie and mica-schists and slates from King's, Albert, St. John, and Charlotte counties of the same i)rovince. The "Kimiston series" as exemplified by the gneissoid rock^ of Northundjerland county, the felsite, talco-chloritic and other schists of Bostwick brook in King's county have also been referred by Dr. K. W. Ells and Prof. L. W. Bailey to the Huronian system. No rocks of this horizon have as yet been recorded from Nova Scotia. It is not imjirnl). al)!o. however, that some of the crystalline limestones, dolomites, felsites, and more or less altered rocks classed as Pre-Cambrian may belong to the Huronian system. The "Momahk slates" of Newfoundland by some called Huronian may belong to the Cambrian system. The Laurentian Highlands.— In the i)eninsula of Labrador, Mr. Low has recognized two large areas of Huronian rocks; the first along the East Main river for a distance of IHO miles: the second, an area south-west of Lake Mistassini. Along the East iMain river the Huronian consists of mica-schist, conglomerate, felspathic and quartzose schists, chloritie schist, hydro-mica slate, agglomerates and felspathic sand- stones. On Belle Isle, Dr. Sclwyn records the occurrence of felspathic sandstones, shales, tufaceous sandstones, and diorite schists; whilst on the west side of Cape Wolstenholm, and Skynner's cove, Nachvak, Labrador, Dr. Bell obtained in 1885 green chloritie schists and a compact steatite or pipestone ascribed to this system. lOS lioYAI, SOCIKTY Ol" CANADA In Pontine county in the province of Quobcc, Mr. A. S. Coeliraiie obtained spocinicns of a frray sliuly sandstone, chloritie, and liyilro-jiiica Sfhists ailing with dark green scliistoso diorite wiiicli havr -inee iieen classified in the lluronian. In the distrifts of N'i|iissiii;4- ami .\l;.fiiiiiii, we have elassic ground lor the student of lluroiiiiui jjcnlogy. Ji was on the north shore of Lake Huron that the original lluronian rocks, as described by Sir Win. Logiin, Ale.vitnder Murray, l)r. Jiell and other Canadian genlogisls were first studied. The Jlunmian is very extensively dcvelojied, and forms nuniorows, wide, more or less inter- rupted bands between Lake Huron and James's bay. It is in this region that the lluronian system attains its greatest developmenl. The lluronian is well described by Dr. G. M. Dawsiui in his summarv on the Archu'an of Canada, read before the British Association for the Advance- ment of Science, Toronto Meeting, 1)S!I7. in which he writes: " Tlie lluroniiin eoni])rises i'elspathic sandstone or grcywacke, more or loss tnfaceous in origin, quartzites, and arkoses passing into quartzose conglomerates and breccia conglomerates, often vntli large fragments of many different varieties of graiiite, syenite, etc., diorite, diabase, limestones, and shales or slates changing to phyllites in con- tact with the numerous associated igneous masses. Over wide areas altered greenstones and their associated tuffs preponderate, often with micaceous, chloritic, sericitic and other schists, many of ■which are of pjToclastic origin, although some may represent ordinary aqueous de-' posits, and all have been affected by subsequent dynamic metamor- phisni." It will thus be seen that the lluronian system is partly sedimentary, and partly igneous. In the Ni pissing and Lake Temiscaming regions just recently described by Dr. Barlow, the lluronian rocks were found to be widely developed, especially in the north-western part of the region. They consist of the basal series made up of " breccia-conglomerate, con- taining pebbles and fraginents often angular though usually subangular or rounded in outline, of granitite, diabase, diorite, etc., embedded hi a matrix composed of the same materials in a finer state of division, while the more minute interstices are filled up with scales and flakes of chlorite and sericite." This fragmental rock passes up and into a greywacke which in turn merges above into an exceedingly compact and fine grained rock of similar composition which gradually assumes a banded and slaty char- acter. The latter forms the slate or shale division of the series. Super- imposed upon these directly, a quartzite grit made up chiefly of granitic quartz and felspar, resemhling arkose, are found. [ami] SYNorsiS ol" TIIK (iKULO(iV OK CANADA 198 The rolation wliicli exists lu'lwci'ii the lliiniiiian dl' tlu' lypicul area Jiiid the; Ihtsliiujs strii'S of Onlanti, the Kccwnliit serieti, CoutchicliiiKj serifs i)( tlic Lake of ilic Wdoils and Algonia goneruUy, and the Orenville series of the Ottawa district, is u subject full of iulricate problems in polr()i;i'apliy and (ield ^reolo^'y cninhined. of the liighest interest Mo separate geologiciil names of formations have i)i'en a>signcd to tho three sub-division? of the lluronian, as (lcvelo[ie(l in ihe Lake Teniiscaniing region, but there is no doubt that forthcoming researches on the part of students in Arcluvan geology in Canada will result in the prol)abl(> delinition and correlation of tho dilferent members of both the Laureiitian and lluronian systems in a nuinner which will enable us to classify the various phases of these two systems and their taxnnornic equivalents in dill'erent regions, as regular formations not very dis- similar from the methods or principles used in the scale adoiited in the IK nu nclature of subsequent systems. The most conspicuous periods of volcanic activity together with [leriods of (iuicscence as indicatcil by the strata would form important factors in the determination and separation of the different formations. Tn the Kainy river district, in Algoma and Lake of the Woods rcginiis, as elstwiiere, Iluroiiiau rocks arc extensively developed and prove to be an important metalliferous series, carrying gold, silver, nickel, copper, iron, and other useful minerals. Along the west coast of Hudson bay and in the interior, as well as on ^larble Island, rocks of IliironUui age. consisting of eliloritie, and micaceous schists, also of fine-grained (piartzile associated with diabase and gabbro, are classified as lluronian. Mr. J. B. Tyrrell describes a large belt of lluronian rocks, Vli) miles in length, along the west coast of Hudson bay from near liaker's foreland to a point 45 miles north of Cape Esquimaux. From the shore ^^i Jludsoii bay inlaml. tlie-e rucks were traced for seventy miles up Ferguson river. On the Telzoa and Kazan rivers two additional areas of lluronian rocks are described, besides others in the basins of Doobannt, Wharton, Kasba and Ennadai lakes. . In the district of Keewatin, and Lake Winnipeg region, Dr. Bell and Messrs. Tyrrell and Dowling have recognized many areas of Huronian quartzites, chloritic, steatitic, felspathic, and diorite schist-s, besides conglorierates and breccias. Along Athabasca lake, and Churchill rivers Tyrrell recognized Huronian rocks, consisting of white quartzites besides fine red calcareous sandstones and schists. The Cordilleran Region. — In British Columbia and Yukon territory, the Huronian system has been recognized a? consisting, for the most part, 194 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA of diabases and diorites, with chloritic schists, mica schists, quartzites, and slates, wliich have i)roved to be highly ijroductive of mineral^ of economic value to man; gold, silver, lead and copper being conspicuous. General Note. In no other country on the face of the earth is there such a development of old crystalline rocks referable to the Laurent ian and Hiu'onian as is to be found in Canada. The rocks which constitute them ar". highly metalliferous, and the varieties or species ol' minerals of economic value, which must lio hidden in their formations, are so numerous that the latent resources of Canada can be affirmed to be a store of untold wealth. These will, no doubt, soon be more extensi'<'ely developed and utilized as the country is opened up and our population increases from year to year. The Algoiikian of Van Hise and other North American geologists is a newly-coined term which embraces practically the same rock -forma- tions as the Huronian. Prof. Van Hise's Map of the Algonkian com- pared with Sir Wm. Logan and Murray's Map of the Huronian system suffices to show that the two systems are synonymous — the earlier term Huronian having priority. No definite organisms have as yet been recorded from the Lauren- tian or Huronian of Canada. The terms Laurentian and Huronian in- troduced into geological nomenclature by Sir Wm. Logan in the early days of the Canadian Geological Survey are now very generally adopted throughout the world. Tee Cambrian System. The Cambraii .system fonns the base of the Palasozoic column, and is the term now generally adopied to include those sedimentary forma- tions which hold eiit()r\bed in their strata the earliest truly recognizable forms of animal life in a fossillized condition. The Acadian Region. — In Xewfoundland, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, the three divisions into which the Cambrian formations are naturally and generally divided, namely: Lower, Middle and Upper, are all well represented. In certain portions of Newfoundland, at Smith's Sound and Signal Hill, and St, John, N.B., also on the Kennebecasis river, series of fossiliferous sediments have been assigned by Dr. G. F. ]\"atthew to the Etcheminian s^'stem and by him separated from the Cambrian proper. The Etcheminian appears to be a phase or formation in the series of fossiliferous Lower Cambrian sediments, and its position is evidently in the Lower or Eo-Cambrian. The gold-bearing series of Nova Scotia, consisting of an upper slate formation and a lower quartzite formation, both destitute of fossils, [ami] SYNOPSIS OF THE GEOLOGY OF CANADA 198 have been referred to the lower division of the Cambrian and has been designated as the ""Atlantic Coast series" or Acadian ' gvoup' or ' division ' of this system. This series constitutes the productive gold belt of the Acadian region. Stai'-olite-schist, mica-schist, andalusite-schist, quartzites, and slates, occur in this series in Guysborough, (Queens, Halifax, Lunenburg, Slielburne, and Yarmouth counties of Nova Scotia. The gold-bearing quartz veins and accompanying strata of Xova Scotia have been thrown into a series of jjlications or folds, consisting of anticlines and synclines, by a number of important intrusive masses. Surrounding these masses of intrusive rocks, the slates and quart- zites which still maintain their relative position as lower and upper mem- bers of the "Lower Cambrian" appear as two metamorphosed or altered series of sediments, and constitute a " motamor]^)]iic series " according to Messrs. H. Fletcher and E. R. Faribault. To the " quartzite gi-oup " of the gold-bearing series of Xova Scotia the designation Guyshorough formarion appears to be appropriate, whilst the tenn Hallfar formation is proposed for the " slate group " of the gold-bearing series. A re- markable feature in the mode of occurrence of the gold is that it appears usually in the axis of the anticlines, and inasmuch as mining in Xova Scotia has revealed the presence of many anticlines superimposed one upon the other, at difl'erent depths and intervals, it is calculated that the gold-bearing veins or saddles will be found to hold out and con- tinue to a great depth. Deep mining in the gold-bearing rocks of Lower Cambrian age in Xova Scotia will thus likely prove of great value and importance. The productive gold-bearing deposits of Victoria and Xew South Wales in Australia may be of similar age, and appear to be of similar structure to tliose of Xova Scotia. Overlying and newer than the gold-bearing rocks of Xova Scotia, we find shales and limestones holding abundance of fossil organic remains. Below Mcx^dam's brook, Escasonie river, near McFee's point. Bras d'Or river, and along Mira river in Cape Breton, and at Barachois (constituting the Mira series or formation), beds referred to the Upper and Xeo-Cambrian have proved highly fossiliferous. These are now undergoing revision and the systematic classification of the various formations and zones of fossiliferous Cambrian will no doubt soon be made known. In New Brunswick, through the researches of Dr. G. F. Matthew, the characteristic fossils of the various strata constituting the Cambrian system, Avhich was also called the " St. Jolm firovp " have .been cnrofuUy described, and include for present purposes the Etcheminian series also. At Loch Lomond, in St. John county, on Caton's island. King's county. 196 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA where the latter series is well developed, whilst the lower division of the St. John group holding Protohnus and Paradoxides occurs at Hastings cove, along the Kcnnebecasis valley, and in St. John city itself. The middle division of the St. John group holding Lingulella is well developed in St. Jolm city, and constitutes a formation consisting of dark and light gray slates and Hags, with sandstones seven hundred and fifty feet in thickness. In the upper division of Ine St. John group, such as it is developed on ^*avy island and in St. John city, Dictyonema flahelliformc, and Peltura scarabceoides are the characteristic fossils of the gray sandstones and fine black shales of this upper series. The rocks of Ilanford brook are highly fossiliferous and constitute the Hanford formation of Prof. C. D. Walcott. These are of same age, as the slates of EatclifFs Mill stream, Caton's Island, Porter's Brook, etc. The limestones, etc., of Chapel Arm, Trinity bay, and at Manuel's brook, in Newfoundland, correspond to the lower division of the St. John group as developed in New Brunswick. In Grloucester county, on the Tete a Gauche river, on the Nipisiguit river, near Landing Falls, on the Serpentine river, on the Miramichi river, in Northumberland Co., at Porter's brook in St. John county in N.B., the Cambrian has been recognized by Dr. Ells, Dr. Matthew, and Prof. Bailey, and described by them. The Avalon, Random Sound and Signal Hill series of Newfound- land have been defined by j\Iurray and Howley as well as by Prof. C. D. Walcott from that island and constitute part of che Cambrian system. South-east of the St. Lawrence-Appalachian dislocation in the pro- vince of Quebec, the Cambrian system tias been recognized by Logan, Eichardson, Ells, and other geologists, and includes the gold-bearing slates of the Chaudiere valley and Bcauce district, as well as the Silknj slates or " pillar " sandstones, which are held by some to be the' equivalent of the Potsdam formation of New York state. Sillery slates, sandstones, and conglomerates occupy a wide belt in the province of Quebec south of the St. Lawrence. In the counties of Bonaventure, Gaspe, Rimouski, and Temiscouata, as well as in Bellechasse and Levis, the Sillery shales and quartzites, limestones and argillites, limestone-conglomerate and quartz-conglom- erate, slates and felspathic sandstones also occur, and many of them prove to be fossiliferous, as at Matane, M6tis, &c.. Cape Rosier, Little Fox river, Magdalen river, Ste. Anne des Monts, Cap Chatte, Whale cape, Sandy bay. Little Metis, Island of Orleans, Point Levis, Sillery, Cap Rouge, and Chaudiere falls and river for the most part referable to the Upper Cambrian. I [ami] SYNOPSIS OF THE GEOLOGY OF CANADA 197 In the Eastern townships, on the east side of the Sutton mountain anticline, Cambrinu rocks also occur, and liivewise east of tlie Missisquoi valley in Potton, in Lisgar, at A\'aterlo(), Kiclunond, S\veot.<1)Uvg, Frelighsburg, Granby, where slates and quartzites referable to this sys- tem have been recognized and so classified by Dr. Ells. From the ad- joining State of Vermont the "Georgian'' or "'e/t/on and J3)ack Kiver fossils from Lake Winnipeg and its vicinity. The Cordilhrau Region. — In British Columbia rocks of Ordovician age appear in the liocky mountains proper, at Devil's Head lake, near iJanll". Along the Kicking Horse river at (jlen Ogle, graptolitic slates and limestones witli shales carrying an Ordovician fauna have been described In' Mr. McConnell. The graptolitic fauna recognized by Prof. C. Lapworth, of IWrmingham, is here classed as constituting the Wapta formation, and belonLiing to the upper half of the Ordovician system. In the Selkirk range, no outcrop of rocks definitely referable to this age have as yet been detected, Imt some of the black graphitic and bituminous slates and limestones may possibly belong to this system. In the Yale district, west of Lansdowne, at Adam's lake, Dr. Dawson and Mr. McEvoy have recorded, and refer, certain crystalline limestones to this horizon, and on the Dease river, in the Yukon territory, grapto- litic slates similar to those of the Wapta formation at the Glen Ogle quarries on the Kicking Horse river have been described by Mr. McConnell, and the grapfolites which those slat«s carry were studied by Prof. Chas. Lai)worth, of Mason Science College, Binningham, and reported uj)on to the Canadian Geological Survey. The Silurian System. The Acadian Befjion. — The Silurian system as understood in Canada, and restricted to the upper division of Sir Eoderick Murchison's Silurian is extensively developed both in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. At Arisaig, in Antigonish Co., Nova Scotia, several thousand feet of more or less disturbed and inclined strata, including an almost regular succession of different ^nembers of this system, made up of sandstones, slates, iron ores, and black graptolitic slates and limestones, with mud- I [ami] SYNOl'iSlS OF THE UKOLOCiY OF CANADA 203 iind a da, ian At ■nore stones, are well exposed, and present a compact fauna, which in fades closely resembles rocks in Herefordshire, in Cumberland, West- moreland, in the Kendal and Ludlow regions of England. The "'Kiioy- darl" formation consisting of red .-liales and sandstones and calcareous bands holding pteraspidian and ostracodemi fishes and crustaceans refer- able to the Cornstone or lower Old Ked sandstone of Great Britain, almost immediately overlies the Silurian strata, though no actual con- tact has been observed. The Silurian series at Arisaig consists of at least four distinct geological fonnations. Beginning above we have first the '' Stonehouov " formation, consisting for the most part of dark red, fine-grained shales and niudstoii^s, hokling a conspitaious lainellibran- chiate fauna, of which (Jrammysia Acadica, Billings, is a well known species, together with a number of interstratified more or less thin calcareous l)ands holding brachiopods, gasteropods, trilobites and ostra- cods in abundance. Below this we find the •" Mui/dart " I'orination, * which consists of more or less heavy-bedded, light greenish gray and rusty-weathering calcareous strata (in which the " Red Stratum " of authors occurs) and holds brachiopods, gasteropods, cophalopods and crinoids. Beneath this again we have the " McAdam " formation, con- sisting for the most part of impure black carbonaceous shales, which are splintery at times, holding a lamellibranchiate fauna and graptolites. At the base occurs the " Arisaig " formation, which comprises bufl!- weathering, fine-grained compact sandstones and shales, containing corals (chiefly Streplelasma), bradiiopods, gasteropods and trilobitc?. The thorough investigation of this series of strata, which indeed, may require further subdivision, is expected to furnish data bearing on the settlement of the mooted question as to where the Silurian stops and the Devonian of America.^ In the county of Annapolis, Nova Scotia, and in the vicinity of Kictaux, Silurian strata occur including the Nidaitx iron ore l)eds and the Torbrook sandstone formation, whilst near Kentville, the Kentville formation is seen as well as on Angus Brook in the Gaspereau Valley, also at New Canaan, with Didyonema Websteri, Dawson, and at Wolfville in King's county where coralline limestones, red and green graptolitic slates, and other strata at times highly cleaved, squeezed and metamorphosed form conspicuous ridges, and constitute the oldest siedi- mentaries in the vicinity of the Bay of Fundy and the Blomidon region in the " Land of Evangeline." In Cumberland county, along the northern slope of the Cobequids, isolated areas of Silurian strata have been mapped out and described by ' Remarks on subdivisions of Arisaig Silurian are inserted after going to press.— H. M. A. Sec. IV., 1900. 11. I 204 KOYAL SOCIETY UF CANADA |i|.i lllil 'nil ,, 11 Mr. Scott JJarlow and Mr. H. Flutclior, the Wentworth and Farinington aiea,s being among the most important and best known. These appear to belong to the lower half of the Silurian. At White r»ay and the Bay of Exploits Silurian strata occur in Newfoundland. Ill New Brunswick, on the Bcccaguimic river, in Charlotte county, near Canterbury in York Co., typical aicas of Silurian rocks have been described by I'rof Jiaiky, Dr. l-^lls and Mr. Clialniers and other writers. In the northern, part of this province, in the vicinity of Dalhousie, on Elm-Tree river, and other localities, rocks bi'longin^ to the Upper or iNeo-Silurian consisting for the most part of limestones and slates have b.?en recorded. The Dalhousie limestones bear a striking resemblance to the limestones of l.ower lleldorberg age in New York State. In the peninsula of (Jaspe, besides the Chalcur group or formation oi Billings, which occupies a ijosition about the horizon of the (Juelph formation of Ontario, and the Chat/r river limestones, several important areas of limestones have been recorded by Sir William Logan, and Dr. Ells. At Port Daniel, Perce, the Perce formation is met with, exhibiting cream-coloured fossiliferous limestones about the age of the Wen- lock of England and Niagara of Ontario and New York ; and, along the l^estignuche, (Iraiul river, and Scaumenac river, as well as on the Casca- pedia river, formations probably equivalent to the Niagara, Guelj)h, and Lower Jlolderberg and Water Lime group of the west, have also been recorded. In the Eastern Townships of Quebec, south-east of the great fault, in Stanstead, and Conipton counties, limestones and shales holding Silurian fossils constitute several more or less isolated, but at one time connected Silurian strata, overlying unconformably the upturned edges of the older formations which have been eroded. In the more disturl)ed regions of these townships the upturned edges of the older formations have been recorded. In the more disturbed regions of these townships the Silurian strata often assume the character of mica schists, and when they are fossiliferous, resemble closely rocks of the same age in the Scandinavian peninsula, the organic remains suffering deformation and obliteration in direct ratio to the degree of alteration of the matrix. The Laurentian Highlands. — In the region comprised under this term, the most important outcrop of Silurian occurs in the Hudson Bay basin. On the Nelson river about sixty miles above its mouth, on the Attawapishkat river, and on Mansfield and Southampton island strata which can be referred to this system have been described by Dr. Bell, and the fossil remains identified by Mr. J. F. Whiteaves and the writer. In the islands above named in connection with the Ordovician, Silurian strata overlie the former in regular succession. Fossil remains derived ■9- I t £ami] SYNOPSIS OF TIIK (iKOLOGY OF CANADA' 20S from tlio Arctic royions have been described by Dr. Kthoridge, Mr. Salter, and otlier writers, and indicate a xViagara or Wenlock age. In the Lake Tomiscuniiiig basin Silurian fossils abound and are well preserved, some eujhty species having been recently collected by Dr. Bell and Dr. Barlow, and these have since l)een stud.cd and determined by Mr. J^ambe and the writer. The horizon of this outlier was determined by ^fr. Millings from fossils obtained by Mr. Jamos Itichardson, one of the stall' under Sir William Logan in the early years of the Geological Survey of Canada. The Laivrencian Lowlands. — Thin bedd''d limes.tonos and shales in Anticosti form an important area of Silurian rocks. To this peculiar development Mr. Billings gave the name of Middle Silurian, inasmuch as the limestones of the Lorraine or uppermost Ordoviciaii i'ormalion of this island passed upward without any break in litliological character or origin of sedimentation into several divisions or life zones wliiciv lind their equivalent in other parts of Canada, in Iho Medina, Clinton, and Niagara formations. Ijocal designations for the various members of the Silurian strata of Anticosti, based upon tho fannistic relations which exist between the divisions as separated by Hillings, will, it is liopcil, shortly be discussed by the writer. Isolated areas in the province of Quel)ec, referable to the lowest division of the system, namely, the ^ledina, occur on the south shore of the St. I>a\vrence, along the Yamaska river south of Lake St. Peter and notably near St. Gregoire, Que., where a strong brine has recently been struck. The Medina formation at this point is proliably not less than ()00 feet in thickness. On St. Helen's island, opposite Montreal, and on Beheil mountain (Montaigne de Beheil), the J.oircr Ifehlcrhcn/ formation which has been ''"hi for such a long time to represent the summit of the Silurian system in North America, may be seen in some- A\hat limited ])atches of comi)act and considerably altered light-gray limestone which abound in fossils. There is little doubt that at one time the Silurian system extended widely throughout the St. Lawrence valley, but Post Devonian erosion has carried off nearly every trace of its ex- istence. In Ontario, the Silurian system is well developed, and its different members which include in descending order : — n. — The Water Lime formation 5. — The Onondaga formation 4. — The Guelph formation 3. — The Niagara formation 2. — The Clinton formation 1. — The Medina formation 2o0 UOYAL SOC'IKTY OF CANADA 11 ill!! ! : As ill New York «tiilc, tlu'sc IoIIdw fiicli ntluT in n-jfiilar su('t'('!sil remains lie|(in;:in;' to the yiuiinra formation. Tlie (i'nrl}ili formation witli its lij;lit cream-coloured dolomites forms a not unimportant I'l rmation \vlii( li i.- Iii^lily fussililVrous, and its fauna Inis been carefully and elaborately described by Hall, JJillings and Wliiteaves. In many localities in Canada the Alixlina, Clinton, Niagara and Guelpli formations yield natural gas. The Salina, Onondmja and Walrr-Lune formations from which the salt, gypsum and cement stones of Ontario Jire derived, consist for tlie most part of light yellowish-gray cctmpact dolomite which ussumcs a lithographic aspect in Welland county. fntcriiir Conlinvntal I'lain. — At Cross hike rapids, and nei.r the fo"t of the (irand rajiids, on the lower Saskatchewan, as well as on the cast side of Kako Winnipegosis, in portions of the province of Manitoba, as well as in the district of Saskatclu'wan, light yellowish-gray limestones, and cream-coloured dolomites sometimes porous, underlie the rocks of Devonian age. Their geological as well as pala;ontological characters have recently been nuide known by Messrs. Tyrrell, Dowling and Dr. Whiteavcs and are referable in part to the Niagara fonnation. Penta- menis (Jeciissalus is a characteristic species from this horizon. The Cordilhran Iic(jion. — In the L'ocky mountain belt, in British Cohunbia, Mr. McConnoll and Prof. A, P. Coleman, have examined a number of limited areas, probably referable to this system; notably along the Kicking Horse river, near the Glen Ogle slate (luarries, and near the head-waters of the Columbia and Saskatchewan rivers. These localities have afforded fine examples of the genus Halysites (probably //. catenvlafus) usually characteristic of the Silurian. r I I i The Devonian System. 1 The Acadian liecjinn. — In Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, where the sedimentary formations of the palneozoic were being deposited along a more or less sinuous and broken coast line similar to that of the present day, many varieties of sediments occur. The only marine Devonian known in Nova Scotia to date is found in Annapolis county in the vicin- [ami] 8YX()I'SIS ()!• Till-; (ii;()LO(iY OK CANADA B07 of ity uf litiir UivtT 1111(1 NiLlaiix wliuro it conisisU for tlie most jmrt of snd the fossils described by Dr. Whiteaves. Mr. Ix)w also records Devonian limestones from a branch of the Severn river. The LawiTiician Lowlands. — In the province of Quebec only a few isolated patches or outliers of Devonian occur. On the Famine river, coralline limestones occur of Eo-Devonian age, also on the Etchemin river, and in the Lake !Memphremagog basin, where a Cauda-Calli horizon recently noticed by the writer, 1894, occurs, associated with coralline and shaly limestones referred by Sir Wm. Logan to the Devonian system. The presence of occasional pieces of Devonian limestone in the volcanic conglomerates of St. Helen's island, opposite Montreal, sers-es to indicate the former existence of Devonian limestone in that region, and points to a post-Devonian time in which Mount Royal was formed. In Ontario, the Silurian system characterized in its upper- most strata by beds of compact dolomite, are followed upward by the various members of the Devonian Sj-stem which have an intimate rela- tion with those of the states of New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. ' The term Gi'ande Grtve formation, suggested by the writer some time ago, has been recently accepted by Prof. J. M. Clarke and Mr. Schuchert, whilst they suggest the terras St. Alhan and Cape Bon Ami to include the beds numbered 1 and 2, and 3, 4, 5, 6, respectively, In Billings's Gaspe section. (Inserted on going to press). [ami] SYNOPSIS OF THE GEOLOGY OF CANADA 209' The following succession of Devonian formations obtains in Ontario, in descending order : 5. — The Chemung. 4. — The Portage and Genesee. 3.— The Hamilton. 2. — The Comiferous. 1. — The Oriskany sandstone. The Oriskany consists of some thirty feet of light yellowish, at times calcareous sandstones, holding fossil remains in abundance, some eighty species have been recorded by Billings, Schuchert, and others. The Oriskany is overlaid by coralline limestones and dolomites teeming with corals, sliells, and other fossil remains including fishes, constituting the Comiferous formation, followed upwards by the shales, limestones, and clays of the Hamilton formation. These shales also abound in corals and various groups of invertebrates with a few large fishes. The Hamilton formation is overlaid by a series of dark brown or black bitu- minous plant-bearing shales, with an occasional series of limestone bands, and brownish sandstones interstratified, which constitute the upper or Neo-Devonian of Ontario. These strata correspond to the Chemung, Huron and Erie shales of Ohio and Michigan. The petro- leum-bearing strata of the Huron-Erie peninsula belong to this system. The Interior Continental Plain. — Limestones of Devonian age have long been recognized in the Lake Winnipegosis and L. Manitoba regions of northern Manitoba, and the North West Territories. The rocks con- sist of cream-coloured dolomites and limestones teeming with organic remains. Mr. Tyrrell divides the Devonian of this region into three series; the L^pper Devonian or Manitoban formation, the ^Middle Devonian or Winnipegosan formation, the third or Lower Devonian, not being yet clearly defined. It is from these limestones that Dr. Whiteaves recognized the " Striiigocephalus zone" or horizon overlaid by the beds which probably represent the " Cuhoides zoncV These Devonian strata are also met with in the district of Saskatchewan. In the MacKenzio river basin, limestones, shales, and dolomites usually dark gray in colour are recorded l)y Mr. ]\lcConiiell; also on the Liard river, a branch of the ]\IacKenzie, and from the MacKenzie itself, they form an important trough of palfeozoic rocks from Lake Athabasca to Great Slave and Great Bear lakes, northward covering the uneven sur- face of the Archaean floor. It was from these limestones that the fossils described by F. B. Meek were obtained. The Cordilleran Region. — In the Eocky mountains, in the Cascade belt and the Fairholme mountains, dark gray cherty dolomitic limestones 210 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA k !■ and other limestones have been recognized; also in the neighborhood of Banlf Springs hotel, {Banff shales), dark-gray shaly limestones, prob- ably referable to the Neo-Devonian, whilst Dr. Dawson, Mr. Tyrrell and the writer have examined and recognized limestones of this age in the Crow's Nest and Kootenay passes. In his explorations along the north Saskatchewan Mr. McConnell has recognized a group of limestones referable to the Devonian, and which he calls the "-Inkr mediate lime- stone." They consist of about 1500 fee: of dolomitic limestones, In the Pipestone Pass, Sir Jas. Hector obtained Atrypa reticularis from strata supposed to be of Devonian age. Ill i ;H ,i i The Carboniferous System. The Acadian Region. — The Carhonifcrous System is one of the most importa,nt and extensively developed in Nova Scotia, The important coal-fields of Sydney, C.B., Pictou and Cumberland, contain vast quan- tities of fossil fuel for generations to come. The classification of the various members of this system in Nova Scotia requires further investi- gation before a complete tabular view can be given, although the general stratigraphical succession, or order in wliich the different formations or larger groups and series of strata, were laid down, has been fairly well established through the writings of Sir William Logan, Sir Chas. Lyell, Sir J. Wm. Dawson, Dr. Gesner, Dr. Ells, Mr. H. Fletcher, the Messrs. I'oole, and other geologists. In the Lower or Eo-Carboniferous, I provisionally place the terri- genous, or estuarine deposits, known as the Union and Riversdale forma- tions which consist of red shales and marls mth sandstones and conglo- merates overlying gray and black .siliceous and carbonaceous shales, &c., with impure coaly seams, which latter are of no special economic value. These strata, from their nature and composition, were evidently deposited upon a rapidly sinking floor and hold a fauna and flora which bind them to the Carboniferous rather tlian to the Devonian system to which they have been ascribed for many years. In the Eo-Carhoni- ferous I would also place the Ilorton formation which throughout the Bay of Fundy trough, consists of black and gray carbonaceous and calcareous shales, &c., overlying granitic sandstones and marls, &c., which latter series constitute a separate formation in the Wolfville and Horton district. The name Gaspereau formation is suggested for these granitic sandstones of the Avon Biver valley and from Angus brook in the Gaspereau valley in King's county, N.S. Fossil plants found in strata of the Union or Eiversdale formations, between Riversdale and Union ptations (I.C.R.) in Colchester county also appear to have been found in the Horton formation. £ami] SYNOPSIS OF THE GEOLOGY OF CANADA 211 The Union and Riversdale formations appear to lie unconformably below the limestones, gypsum and marls of the Windsor formation. Overlying these Eo-Carboniferous rocks in Nova Scotia, there occur marine limestones and gypsum associated with limestone conglomerate and shales, and sandstones, and sandstone-conglomerates, commonly described as a ''Lower Carboniferous Seines." The most fossiliferous limestones, as at Windsor and Brookfield, have been referred to the Windsor formation, but a number of limestone bands of this series have been described by C. F. Hartt and Sir Wm. Dawson, from various locali- ties in the same province under various designations and from researches carried on by the writer during the past five years in Nova Scotia, there is no doubt that several distinct horizons in the Carboniferous are marked by the different calcareous or limestone bands. The Windsor formation is followed upward or accompanied by an extensive series of sandstone conglomerates and grits, or freestone, to which the term " ]\riUstone Grit " formation has been applied. In the Pictou Coal Field the writer has recognised and described the Westville formation, equivalent to the so-called "■ Millstone Grit" of that district, which former name is suggested, inasmuch as the true and original "Millstone Grit" of England is doubtfully equivalent to the series of strata referred to the same name in Canada. The freestones and conglomerates of the Westville formation as developed along the Joggins shore, below the productive Coal ^Measures of Cuml)erland county are extensively used in the manufacture of grindstones and polishing materials. The Stcllarton formation is the name applied to the shales, sandstones and associated coal-bearing strata of the " Coal iMeasures "' of Pictou county as developed at Stcllarton, on East River, along McLellan's brook and at the Acadia and other mines in Westville. The sedimentation in the Joggins region was remarkably different from that which we find in the Pictou basin, although not so far apart, and it may be advisable for the sake of accuracy and more exact defini- tion to give different geological names to these two sets or series of strata occurring in these two districts at a later date. Above the productive Coal Measures in the Joggins section (which section is probably the mo»=it complete and uninterrupted in Eastern America belonging to this system, being upward of 14,000 feet in thickness) we find more sandstones and shales, with conglomerates wliich are well developed along the east side of the Cumberland basin. In Pictou county, unconformably above the Westville formation the New Glasgow conglomerates {New Glasgow formation) form a conspicuous feature in the Carboniferous sequence, as the basal sci-ies of a continuous section of strata extending from New Glasgow to Northumberland straits. 212 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA and continuing northward into equivalent and newer strata on Prince Edward Island. The New Glasgow formation is overlaid by some 25 feet of impure fossiliferous limestone, which in turn is capped by sandstones, shales and coaly or carbonaceous bands {Smell Brook formation.) Then follow an extensive series of yellowish gray and green freestones or grits, such a^ are seen in tlie vicinity of Pictou town, {Viclou formation) ; these are followed upward by coarser grits and conglomerates with an occasional bard of cherty limestone overlaid by red shales and sandstones of Cape John and vicini+y, constituting the Cape John formation. The Cape John rocks, sometimes called Permo-Carboniferous, are well developed in Prince Edward Island, especially along the south shore and probably represent the equivalent of the Windsor and Westville formations of !Nova Scotia. In New Brunswick, tha "Albert shales" — Albert formation — of Albert and Westmoreland counties, containing !=ome forty per cent of hydrocarbons, belong to the Eo-Carboniferous. These are overlaid by conglomerates and marls, usually referred to the Millstone Grit. The " Millstone grit formation " (so-called) appears to occupy almost the entire area of Carboniferous rocks in north and eastern, as well as central New Brunswick. The coal-bearing strata of Grand lake belong to this foi-mation. In several isolated areas, outliers of Carboni- ferous limestones are ^een to occur, and occupy a position, according to some, unconformably below the "millstone grit." The strata which by many geologists have been classed as Devonian in New Brunswick, in the vicinity of St. John, and which comprise the Bloomsbunj conglo- merate, the Dadoxylon sandstone, the Cordaite shales (constituting what the writer terms the Bloomsbury and Lancaster formations), with the Mispec series, are referred by me to the Carboniferous, as equivalents of the Union and Riversdale formations. In the St. George Bay basin of Newfoundland, rocks of Carboni- ferous age also are recognised and probably represent the equivalents of the Windsor and Westville fonnations of Nova Scotia. The only Carboniferous rocks i=o far recognized in the province of Quebec occur in Gaspe, and consist of conglomerates, called the "Car- boniferous conglomerate," "Bonaventure conglomerate" or more simply and properly : Bonaventure formation. The Laurent ian Highlands. — North of the great Archeren nucleus or protaxis, and on the most northerly of the Arctic islands. Carboni- ferous strata were discovered by the various explorers who visited the polar regions. Gypsiferous rocks and limestones occur on the east side of Prince Regent Inlet. Lower Carboniferous series overlaid by Car- [ami] SYNOPSIS OF THE GEOLOGY OF CANADA 2ia boniferous limestone have also been mapped by Dr. G. M. Dawson. Coal is recorded from several localities, viz.: Bank's Land, Cape Nares, Mel- ville Island, and Bathurst Island. The Latvrencian Lowlands and ih& Interior Continental Plain. — There are no Carboniferous rocks as yet detected in Ontario, nor in the interior continental plateau of the great North-West. It may not be at all improbable that in the south-western portion of Manitoba, and along the international boundary line, borings may reveal Carboniferous strata intervening between the Devonian and the Cretaceous. The Cordilleran Region. — In the Cascade mountain ranges, along the- Bow river pass, in the vicinity of Banff, in the Crow's Nest and Kootenay passes, Carboniferous limestones, holding characteristic marine fossils have been traced by Mr. ^McConnell and other geologists. In the Kamloops district Dr. Dawson records the occurrence of the Cache Creek formation, consisting of an upper series of limestoue and a lower one of argillites. Some of the limestones from British Columbia contain Fusulina and Loflusia, and other Carboniforous fossil remains. In the Atlin and Yukon country limestones referable to this series also occur. The Permian System. Under the term "Pcnnian," Mr. Hugh Fletcher has included an important series of sandstones, shales and conglomerates of Nova Scotia in Pictou and Cumberland counties, but no characteristic fos.^il evidence has as yet been obtained to enable us to clearly separate these rocks from the Upper or Neo-Carboniferous. It is very possible hov;ever that the Cape John formation and associated fomiations may be equiva- lent to ' Permian ' strata in other portions of North America or Europe. The Triassic System. The Acadian Bcgion. — Along the cast coast of the Bay of Fundy, and associated with the traps of Annapolis and King's counties, an extensive series of bright red sandstones occur, which are usually referred to the Triassic system. Northeastward along the border of the Basin of Minas, as far as Truro, and again covering almost entirely the Chig- necto isthmus and adjoining districts of Prince Edward Island, every- where maintaining their peculiar soft red lithological character, exten- sive series of strata have been referred to this system. These sandstones are probably the northern extension of the "Newark series'' of New- Jersey, and of the Southbuiy area in Connecticut. In New Brunswick rocks of this age also appear along the west shores of the Bay of Fundy, 214 KOYAL SOCIKTY OF CANADA I 1:1 III ' 11 i! at Quaco, and other localities. The amygdaloidal traps and associated eruptives of Blomidon and the North mountain are probably contem- poraneous with the red sandstones and hence of Triassic age also. The term Grand Pre formation is suggested for tliose soft Triassic sand- stones as they are well developed at the Evangeline Beach on Long Island, Grand Pre near Wolfville, King's County, Nova Scotia. 21ie Cordillcrayi lieijion. — 1!\ the southern interior of British Colum- bia, the " Nicola sericfe," or Nicola formation, is described by Dr. G. ]\I. Dawson as consisting of volcanic rocks associated with limestones and argillitos belonging to this system. In the ivamloops district as well as in the Similkaineen river valley, the same writer also records Triassic rocks. In the northern part of Vancouver island, as well as in the vicinity of the Straits of Georgia, and in the Queen Charlotte islands, several areas of dark-gray fossiliferous limestones and shales with Monotis suhcirciilaris, Gabb, indicate the occurrence of Triassic measures, including Forward inlet. Quatsino sound, Ca])e Commerell, and Hernando. In the Queen Charlotte islands, and underlying the Creta- ceous system unconformably, rocks of this age are extensively developed on Moresby island, Burnaby island, and Ramsay island, along the shores of the Houston-Stewart channel, also on Richard.son inlet. They con- sist of flaggy calcareous argillites, thin and massive limestones, under- laid by volcanic accumulations, at times including limestone beds of doubtful Carboniferous age. Near Glenora on the Stikeen river, and below the Devil's portage on the Liard river, in lat. 69° 16' and longit. 1Sj° 35', Triassic rocks are also recorded. On the Upper Pine river, and on the Peace river, in the vicinity of longit. 122°, lat. 5G°, both Dr. Selwyn and Mr. J. Hunter obtained fossiliferous shales and limestones of Triassic age. The fauna which they hold serves to correlate the horizon of this region with the Triassic of the Queen Charlotte Islands and of California, Monotis suicircularis, Gabb, being the most characteristic species in common. The Jurassic System. Save in the Arctic archipelago, there are but few occurences of rocks which may be definitely ascribed to the Juras,sic system. On Grinnell island, Prince Patrick island, and Bathurst island, outcrops of Liassic rocks have been described by Prof. Haughton. Considerable discussion arose as to the age of the fossil remains obtained in these' distant islands which eventually ended in the view that the fauna has a rather middle Jurassic fades than one of Liassic (Lower Jurassic) affinities. Of the interesting nnimal remains discovered, were those [ami] SYNOPSIS OF TI'E GEOLOGY OF CANADA 213 from Exmouth island, obtained by Sir E. Belcher ascribed by Sir Kicluird Owen to Jcldlii/usnunts. In the interior Continental plateau overlying the Trias of the Peace and Pine river country, certain sha'">! and sandstones may possilily l)e referred to the Jura^^sic system, 'i lie continent of America and that portion with which this chapter doJils was probably elevated to a great extent ^above the sea level, and erosion rather than deposition was going on in those days. TiiE CuETACEors System. The Acadian licyiun. — Overlying the eruptive traps of the North mountain in Annapolis county, near Ira Woodworth's bay, below Scot's bay, and on the east side of the bay of Fundy, thei'c occur a scries of light yellowish gray and green impure limestones and shales, which Dr. Ells has recently di,«cussed in an interesting jwper in which he argues the possible existence of strata referable to the Cretaceous system. iS'o trace of organic remains has as yet been detected in these limestones. Obscure concretions are said to occur in them, but no definite fauna has yet been examined. These strata lie unconformably over the latest erup- tives of the region and constitute a well-defined horizon in which subse- queuL researches may alTord palajontological data to enable us to correlate the strata in question. In the Laurentian Highlands, and throughout the Lainrncian Lowlands no rocks of Cretaceous age have as yet been detected either in situ or in Pleistocene drift. These portions of Canada must have been above the level of the sea during Mesozoic and Tertiary times. The Interior Continental Plain.— In Manitoba and vicinity along the Eed Deer river, north of Pine river, along the Vermillion and Assiniboine, and at Shoal lake, as well as at Deloraine, the Cretaceous system is represented by the following series of fonnations in ascending order: 1, The Dakota formation, consisting of light and dark hvovm, at times friable compact or shaly sandstones, especially on the Red Deer and Eolling rivers, in Saskatchewan. 2, The Benton formation, consisting for the most part of dark-bluish, gray or black shales, sometimes car- bonaceous, at others holding glauconite in the form of foraminiferal casts, as seen in the drilling^^ from the Deloraine well, from a depth of ]82o'feet. 3, The Niobrara formation, which consists of dark gray or brown and bluish more or less fissile and phosphatic fossiliferous shales, characterized by the presence of Inoceramus problematicus, Schlotheim, interstratified with more or less dolomitic limestones. This formation iG well developed on the Vermillion river. 4, The Pierre formation. 216 UOYAL SOCIETY OF (CANADA 1^' i which Mr. Tyrrell divides into two series, the Millwood series (or for- mation), and "Oilaiiuk scries,-' or I'ornujtion. The I'ornier i -ciides light «nd (hirk gray or brown, soft. Triable or brittle shales and limestones which hold numerous Kadiolaria. On the J)uck and Porcupine mountains of ^Manitoba, the Millwood series is well developed. The Odanah series, with its light gray, finely laminated shales and clays, as seen on Shoal lake and Deloraine, and along the Assl.-^ibcine, in Manitoba, constitutes the uppermost nu'ml)er of the Cretaceous .'vstem in the c^istern jjortion Ox" the Great i)lains. In the western portion 'if the Great prairie plateau, including Alberta, Assiniboia, and Saskatchewan, and the districts to the north, the following succession obtains: 1, the Dakota; 2, the Niohrara- Jlvilon or Colorado formation; 3, the Belhj River series; 4, the Fort Pierre, {Fort Pierre and Fox Hills) or Montana formation; 5, the Lara- mie formation, which Dr. G. M. Dawson divides into (a) Porcupine Hill series; (6) Willow Creek series, (c) St. Mary (River) series; while Mr. Tyrrell divides the Laramie of Northern Alberta into two formations, viz.: (a) the Edmonton series, or formation (ft) the Paskapoo series or formation. Thia latter is of decided Eocene or Tertiary age from the character of its entombed fossil remains. The Dakota or lowest formation in the series of upper Cretaceous sediments of this region, appears to overlie unconformably and overlap rocks of Devonian age in its eastern extension. It is cssentii. ly a sand- stone formation, and in the United States carries a luxuriant fossil flora. The Niobara-Benton formation, consisting for the most part of shales and sandstones which are oftimes fossiliferous as in the Peace I'iver section, is rejiresented by the Fort St. John shales; the Peace 7?. sandstones, and the Loon Jiircr shales, whilst in the Athabasca section, these find their equivalent in the La Biche shales (lower part), the Peli- mn sandstones, and Pelican shales, and the Grand Jlapid sandstones, and Clearwater shales. In the Peace R. section the Dunverjan sand- stones appear overlying the Fort St. John shales, and are overlaid by the }[onta7ia formation, including the Smoky P. shales, and also the Fox Hills sandstones. In the Athabasca R. section the Dunvegan formation is absent, and the Montana formation is represented by (a) the La Biche shales (upper part), (&) Fox Hills sandstones. In both of these districts Laramie sandstones and shales constitute the newest sediments in the Cretaceous system. One of the most interesting features of the Cretace- ous of the plains is the interpellation of the Belly River series of estua- rine and fresh water sediments, between the Fox Hills and Ft. Pierre formations and the Niobrara-Benton constituting a series of beds in which the organic remains found resemble those of post-Pierre (or Laramie) age — equivalent to the St. Mary River series of Dr. Dawson. [ami] SYNOPSIS OF TllK (IKOLOOY OF CANADA 217 Many types of aniuuil lifu characterizing tlie Belly liiver series or formation, occur in ahiiiidance in the Laramie, which overlies the Fox Hills and Fort Tierre ioniialion. ]n some resjjccts the Uunveyan group of the Teace river country also resembles the Canadian J.anunio and Belly K. formation. It is described as a plant-bearing series from which Sir Wm. Jiawson has described an interesting flora, and may be tenncd the Dvnvp(/iin foniialion. The CordUkran Rryion.—ln British Columbia, and in the Yukon district, rocks of Cretaceous age have been recognized by Dr. Dawson and Mr. McConnell, and their fossils recognised by Dr. Whiteaves and Sir Wm, Dawson. Along the foothills of the Rockies and on the summits and passes of the sanu; mountains the various members of the Creta- ceous of the i)rairie region are met with, but in a disturbed and broken condition. The Xiol)rara-Bci)ton and Devil's Head lake (h'>)osits Imve afforded pahvontological evidence to jirove the existence of Cretaceous rocks, to the east, whilst in the southern interior of British Columbia, in the Kamloops district, beds of earlier Cretnceou-: age, consisting of argil- lites, limestones and sandstones which constitute a cycle of sedimentation which appeare to be equivalent to similar rocks in the Queen Cliarlotte islands. On the west coast of British Columbia, the Natiaimn fonnalion constitutes an important series of coal-bearing sediments, whicli is refer- able to the Upper or Xco-Cretaceous, besides the im])ortant outliers in the Queen Charlotte islands, also coal-bearing, constituting the (Jueeit Charlolle Island scrirs. These may ])e divided into several distinct hori- zons or formations in which most of llie invertebrate fauna of the rocks of Skidegate Inlet constitute an important formation (the Skidegatc forma- tion) holding >uch forms as Dcsiiiuccras licudunii., Li/tnrcras Saci/a, Melina Skidetjalensis, Thetis afjinis, etc., etc., as described by Dr. J. F. Whiteaves. Hitherto, only a Lower or Earlier Cretaceous and an Upper or Later Cret.iceous division in this .system have been adopted. These Cretaceous coal-bearing rocks consist of shales, sandstones, conglo- merates and iron ore, overlaid by coarse conglomerates (lower), which, in turn, are capped by an u])|)er series of shales and sandstones which are ascribed to the Earlier Cretaceous, whilst the coal-bearing rocks of Nanaimo and the Vancouver Island region, which consist of marine lime- stones and shales, belong to the Upper Cretaceous. There are bi.t few species in common be^tween the faunas and floras of the Upper Cretaceous of the Pacific coast and those of the same age in the Prairie region of Canada. In dealing with the extinct floras of the Cretaceous system in Canada, Sir Wm. Dawson luis recognized the following: — 1, The Lower Cretaceous, including the "Kootanie series," or Kootenay formation, of S18 HOYAL t>iUCIKTY OF CANADA the Rocky Mountains, with cycads, pines, and ferns, followed upward by the " Intermediate series '' of the liocky Mts., the " Queen Charlotte series," and Suskwa H., with tlieir cycads, pines, and a few dicotyledons. 2, The Middle ('rctureniis, comprising the "Milt Cvvvk scries" or Mill Creek formation of the liocky Mts., and the " Dunvegan scries " (Dun- vegan formation), of the Peace river, with dicotyledons and conifene,. which find their ccjuivalents in the Dakota group of the United States. 3, Upper Crcldce'jus, including the coal-measures of Nanaimo {NanaimO' formation), with nuiny dicotyledcms, palms, etc., the " Belli/ J\'. series " M'ith its lignites, conifers and dicotyledons. The Lower Laramie, or "Si. Mary H. series," including the Lemna and Pistia beds of the bad land* of the Red Deer R., including lignites, also the ^liddle Laramie, or " Willow Creek series," which arc overlaid l)y the " Porcupine Hill series," or Upi)er liaraniio. From the Cretaceous rocks of Caiiiida, Sir Wm. Dawson has recognized 1T9 species of fossil plants, and Mr. Whiteaves .394 species of fossil animal remains, if we includo the whole of the Laramie as a part of the Cretaceous system. Along the Rink rapids of the Lewes }{. marine Cretaceous fossils have been recorded, from the I'ukon district. The Yukon district coal is probably of Cretaceous age. The coal beds at Anthracite, and the Crow's Nest coal strata axe both of Kootenay age. The Tertiary System. Neither in the Acadian region nor in the Laurontian Highlands, nor again throughout the Lawrencian Lowlands, are there found any i'ecognizal)le traces of rocks properly referable to the Eocene, Miocene,, or Pliocene, unless some of the pre-glacial gravels along the no'-th shore of Lake Ontario, underlying the glacial deposits of the Toronto region, may prove to be Tertiary in age. The Interior Continental Plain. — The " Paskapoo series," or Paskapoo formation, or upper division of the I^ramie, consisting of gray and brownish-weathering lamellar, or massive sandstones, and olive sandy shales of fresh-water origin, has, no doubt, been correctly referred to the Eocene Tertiary, and separated from the Cretaceous by Mr. Tyrrell. The fauna which these rocks hold, as well as their flora, affording satisfactory evidence in support of this view. This series overlies the Edmonton f( rmation, and together with it, correspond to the Porcupine Hill and ^yillo^v Greek series, and part of the St. Mary River series, of Dr. Dawson- in the South. The thickness of this formation is between 5000 and fiOOO feet. Tt has been traced along with the Edmonton series, as the- Laramie or Lignite Tertiary formation, by Richardson, Selwyn, Dawson,. [ami] SYNOPSIS OF TIIK (IKOLOOY OF CANADA fil9 and McConnell, southward from Alberta to tlio U. S. boundary lino ; eastward to Turtle mountain, in Manitoba ; and northward to the Arctic circle in the MacKcnzie river valley. The Fort Union beds or formation have also l)een recoiruizod in the Souris Kiver tlistriet. It is believed that aijout tiie beginning of the Tertiary or the close of the Cretaceous, the Kocky Mts. began to be uplifted, whilst the plains sunk beneath the surface of the sea. Then were deposited on the gradu- ally sinking lloor, the sandstones and shales of this series, in which occur the remains of (ieinosuurs, fresh-water shells, land plants, with occasional beds of coal. Miocene. — In the Hand hills of the Trairie region, Mr. Tyrrell finds light-gray argillaceous marls interbedded with fine-grained sands, whicji pass upward into a bod of quartzite pebbles more or less held together in some places by a hard calcareous cement, forming a compact conglo- nieratc. Tliese strata resemble the argillites of the Cypress hills, first examined by Dr. Hector, in 1859, and are, no doubt, equivalent to the Miocene of the Cypress hills in the Assiniboia region, described by Mr. McConnell, known as Miocene conglomerates, etc. It was from the Cypress hills region that Mr. McConnell and Mr. Weston obtained the interesting series of fossil mammalian remains, described by the late Prof. E. D. Cope and referred to the White River division of the Ter- tiary, according to United States geologists or Lower Miocene, The Saskatchewan gravels are doubtfully referred to the Pliocene by some geologists. It was possibly during this or a somewhat later period that many of the vEolian deposits of the west were laid down. The Cordilleran Region. — In the Kamloops district of British Columbia, Dr. Dawson refers certain conglomerates land sandstones to the Otirjocene, under the terms ^^Coldwater Group" and ^^Similkameen" beds. In the "I'ranquille Beds" he describes and includes volcanic basalts and bedded tuffs ascribed to the Earlier and Later Miocene I'cspectively. In the same region, unconformably over the Tranquille beds or formation, conglomerates of Early Pliocene age are also recorded. In the vicinity of the city of Vancouver, Mr. James Richardson, Dr. Dawson, and Mr, Amos Bowman, have examined the j, lant-bearing beds of this district, which form part of the " Puget group." The strata in question form part of the lowland about the mouth of the Eraser river, extending northward to Burrard inlet. These strata are at least 3000 feet in thickness, holding carbonaceous matter, and more or less lignite coal at different horizons. Dr. Dawson further notes the possible Sec. IV„ 1900, la. S20 HOYAL SOriKTY OF I ANADA oqulvuloticy of C'ortuin unCoHfjililorouH l)Oils ovuil^intr the Nanaivio rcoiil bearing) formation at ('omox and clsowhero in Vancouver islana, as possibly in part ociuivalcnt to the Tejon group of California. In the Bouthern interior of Britisli Columbia volcanic rocks, sandstones, and shales, with fossil insects and plants, constituting tiie Similkumcen formation, have been referred to tlie Miocene Tertiary. In the t^ueeii Charlotte islmnils, rocks of Tertiary age occur on liraliani island. The)' form the greater part of the island, extending from Skidegate to Pillar bay, and at the head of Masset inlet Tertiary volcanics prevail. On the north side of Skidegate inlet the Tertiary rocks consist of hard, thin-bedded, aremaceous clays, oftimes gray and micaceous associated with gravels and conglomerates, argillaceous lignite, holding trunks and branches of trees. At Ya-Kan point, and on the bank of the TTi-Kllon River at Too Hill, calcareous sandstones and brown weathering granular dolerito occur, whilst at Skon-Un Point fossiliferous sandstones of Miocene or possibly Pliocene age {Skomin formation), have yielded an interesting fauna described by Mr. Whiteavos. On Ain river, Manin river and other localities, banded trachyte, lignites, volcanic agglomer- ates and obsidian have l)een detected and recorded. At ('annimagh Point, the Astoria Miocene occurs. In the Arctic islands, Oswald Hear has described and recorded the existence of Miocene Tertiary plants and deposits on Princa Patrick island and Banks Land, from collections and observations made by McClintock, McClure, and Armstrong. Ballast beach, on Banks Land, has afforded large quantities of fossil wood, and plants. On the Lewes and Yukon rivers. Dr. Dawson has recorded the occurrence of hard compact flinty and grayish-white argillite, holding plant remains, which may probably be referable to the Upper Laramie or Eocene Tertiary. The Horsefly Gravels and Klondike drift are also described by him as Pliocene. The Quaternary System. The Quaternary deposits of Eastern British North America may be divided into three periods, viz.: 1, the Glacial, or boulder clays; 2, the Champlain, or marine clays deposited during period of submer- gence ; 3, the Recent or terrace period of elevation. The Acadian Region. — In summing the results of observation thus far made in south-eastern Canada, Mr, Chalmers says: "1. The glaciation of south-eastern Quebec, and northern New Brunswick was effected largely by local glaciers which moved northward and southward from the highest land or watershed adjacent to Notre Dame mountains, this watershed forming a gathering ground for the snow and neve which sent [ami] SYNOPSIS (tK TIIK (iKoUXJY Ol' (.'ANADA 221 local glaciers down tlio valley and idong the linea of drainugn into the St. Lawrencu valley on tlu' one luiiid, and the Uaio do I'lialmir, gulf of St. Lawrence, and St. John valley, on the other. Tin; glacial depowitrt of the Acadian region of early pleistocene or glacial period proper, con- sist of typical liouldcr-clay or till, nioruincs, boulders, erratics, drumlins, &c., derived from pre-glaeial rotted rock in situ angular boulders, gravel, sand, etc., which are known to Have existed in sporadic masses and deti'ched sheets in many portions of this region." It thus appears that local glaciers covered the greater portion of this region where to-day glacial 8lria>, boulders and other phenomena of the glaciation are every- where evident. The nature and character of the boulder-clays depend upon the rocks characterizing the formations to be found in the valleys in whicli tl'e glaciers travelled, so that at Pleasant ridge, in Northum- berland county, N.li., for instance, in a limited area, Mr. Chalmers records the following number and variety of boulders: Granite, 88; diorite, 80; slate, 40; gneiss, 1(5; felsite, 12; quartz, 4. Among the glaciers dei^cribed by Chalmers there are the liaie do Chaleur glacier, the Nortliumberland glacier, the Chignecto glacier, and the St. John valley glacier; whicli latter was the largest of the sheets occupying Canadian territory south of the St. Lawrence valley. Its source or neve-ground was in the highlands of northern Maine, of the eastern townships of Quebec, and north-western N. B. At the close of the glacial period the St. Lawrence valley was probably an open channel as far west as the Thousand islands, where ice flowed in from the north and south, whilst land glaciers existed south of the estuary and gulf of St. Lawrence, in the elevated regions. Similar phenomena of glacial erosion and deposition followed by marine submergence and fossili- fcrous clay deposits occur on the island of Newfoundland. It is inter- esting to note that there are no evidences of Pleistocene ice action on the Magdalen islands, no boulder-clay having as yet been recorded or obser\-ed in that group. Post-glacial earth movements are recorded by Dr. Matthew from near St. John, N.B. The Laurentian Highlands. — The Labrador peninsula, during the glacial period, must have been covered with a great thickness of land ice which scattered the subjacent materials for drift into the valleys and fiords over a wide area of these Laurentian Highlands, extending in a south-westerly direction, over the Lawrencian Lowlands of Quebec and Ontario. Mr. A. P. Low observes that the striae and other glacial phen- omena between Hudson Bay and Ungava Bay show that the region was completely covered with, ice during the glacial period, and that the ice 222 UOYAL SOCIKTY OF CANADA moved outward and downward from a narrow neve near the present watershed. The ice sheet which covered this peninsula has heen temicd the " Luhradorean (jlacier." The lower portions of the country traversed by Mr. Low are everywhere more or less covered with a mantle of boulder- clay or till, the hill-tops are for the most part hare, a tail of drift being deposited on the lee side. Lenticular hills or drumlins are not infre- quent, and more or less parallel to the direction of the striae. Erratics, eskars, or ridges of modified drift, occur between Hudson Bay and the watershed. On the west side of Hudson Bay, Tyrroll has described the Keeivatin glacier, a name applied to the ice sheet which covered the central continental Archaean area. This glacier ilowed outward from a gathering ground which lay north or north-west of Doobaunt lake during early glacial times, but subsequently changed its gathering ground and moved south-eastward to the country between Doobaunt and Yath- kyed lakes. From these centres the ice seems to have Ilowed westward and south-westward to within a short distance of the base of the Rocky mountains, southward for more than 1600 miles to Iowa and Illinois; eastward into the basin of Hudson Bav; and northward into the Arctic ocean. To the drift from the great Labrador peninsula and glacier the term Labrador formation is ascribed and for the sheet of till spread over the central portion of North America by the I^xnvatin glacier the term Rupert formation is suggested in order to designate its transported materials as we find them unmodified at the present time.^ The Lawrencian Lowlands. — As mentioned above, the boulder-clay or till, occupies the bottom of the valley of the St. Lawrence river con- stituting the Labrador formation, and underlies the newer marine clays and sands almost everywhere throughout its hydrographic basin. In On- tario, boulder-clays also occur in which the pebbles belong to all the formations present from the Archaean to the Devonian, and are super- imposed by the Erie clay, which in turn is overlaid by the Saugeen clay and sands, also the Artemisia gravel and Algoma sand, besides the recent alluvial deposits overlying all. In the vicinity of Toronto, Prof. Cole- man has recorded two boulder-clays interstratified with fossiliferous clays and sands to which the name Toronto formation has been applied. An interesting Pleistocene flora has recently been described by Prof. Pen- hallow from the Scarborough and Toronto beds, as well as from the Ottawa valley. Sir Wm. Dawson's work in Canadian Pleistocene geo- logy is of great value and indispensable to the student. ' The term Keewatin has been applied by Lawson to rocks of Archaean age. [ami] SYNOPSIS OF THE GEOLOGY OF CANADA 223 Interior Continental Plain.— Overlying the greater portion of the pre-glacial surface of this region are found a sheet of superficial sands, clays, and gravels, filling in and levelling up many of the irregularities in the surface of the Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Cretaceous and Laramie rocks, wliilst in the case of many of the rolling^ hills, they serve to add to the surface irregularities. The following section of Quaternary rocks in the prairie region is given from the reports by Dr. Dawson and Mr. Tyrrell : — Stratified sands, gravels, and silts. Upper boulder clay, Interglacial deposit with peat. Lower boulder clay. > Quartzite, sliingle, and associated beds. The boidder clay consists of sand and clay held firmly together, holding pebbles composed of quartzite and gneiss in the eastern portion, whilst the percentage of quartzite pebbles becomes reduced out on the plains and sandstone pebbles more numerous, with fragments of lignite usually present. Ancient drainage systems, anterior to the present one, have been detected in many portions J the North-west territories. In the Athabasca lake and Churchill river diatvicts, according to Mr. Tyrrell, the quaternary deposits include: — (-1) IJecent lake beaches and flood plains of the present streams; (:?) Sand plains; (2) Ancient sliore lines ; (1) Till, drumlins, moraines, kames, eskars, and ispatinows. It is not at all unlikely that marine s(vliments constitute i)art of the prairie re- gion of Canada. Glacial Lake Agassiz has been described by Warren Upham from ^Ianit;)ba and adjoining districts. The Albertan drift formation " belongs doubtless to the stage of general accumulation of the Ice Slieet followed l)y some recession, and then by the maximum glaciation known as the Kansdii stage." The Cordilleran liegion. — The Cordilleran glacier is defined by Dr. Dawson as tlie ice cap, during the early portion of the glacial period, in British Columbia, which attained a maximum development of nearly 1200 miles in length from north to south. The main gathering ground of this ice shet^'t was between the 55th and 59th parallels of north latitude, extending in o])posite directions, traversing to the Coast ranges, then filled the wide valley between Vancouver island and the mainland. The ice there divided and flowed in opposite directions, as subsidiary glaciers of Queen (charlotte Sound, and the Straits of Georgia. During the maximum of the Cordilleran glacier this region stood at a level con- siderably higher than it now does, and the great plains were probably depressed so as to admit waters from the sea. The retreat of the Cor- \^-7 £2^4 KOYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA dilleran glacier was contemporaneous with, if not caused by, a subsidence cf the mountain region. Numerous observations of glaciation at levels roacliing to 6880 feet, and ranging between 3150 feet and that figure, are recorded on the plateau between North Thompson R. and Dead Man K., on Mount Murray, in the Lytton mountains, and on the plateau be- tween the Thompson and Nicola valleys, and the valley which connects Nicola lake and Kamloops. The Cordilleran formation, or drift, appears to be applicable to materials deposited by the Cordilleran glaciers, both east and west of the main axis of dispersion. On Barnes creek the following section occurs : — (c) Silty deposits. {b) Jioulder-clay obscurely stratified, and (a) Strsitified gravels, silts and sands. Terraces and shore lines are frequently met with, and wliite silts, also di'umlin-like ridges, moraines, and other drift ridges. Auriferous phicer deposits occur in diirerent n.riods of the drift of British Columbia. In the Yukon district Dr. Dawson, Mr. Tyrrell, and Mr. McConnell have recorded interesting glacial phenomena, and strati- fied gravels and sands, many of which have proved to be auriferous. Terraces, indicating higher levels or former reaches of rivers, and glacial lake deposits have also been described. The Champlain Period. — ^This was a period of subsidence in which the Acadian region as well as a portion of the Laurentian Highlands along their margin, and the Lawrencian Lowlands for the most part were depressed beneath the level of the Atlantic waters. Stratified gravels, sands and clays and kames associated therewith overlaid by river and lake terraces and accompanying kames inland, and Leda clays and kames, together with Saxicava sands, the latter formed by marine agency, cliaracterize this period throughout Nova Scotia, Prince V.Jward island, and New Brunswick, whilst the most recent deposits or i'ormations of Q laternary age consist of the river flats and intervales (ailuuu i) estua- rine flats, mussel or oyster beds, natural dykes, etc., with duiit or blown sand overlying both. In both the St. Lawrence and Ottawa River valleys terraces of marine clays occur to a height of over 600 feet, and arc overlaid by sands and gravels, constituting the Leda clay formation and Saxicava sand, Avhich nearly everywhere prove to be highly fossili- ferous. At River du Loup, Beauport, St. Liboire, and Montreal island, at the i\Iile End quarries, and the Tanneries, in the province of Quebec, and at Green's creek, and Besserers, near Ottawa, and other localities in the Ottawa valley, an interesting faxma and flora, indicating cold and marine conditions abound. The Montreal Saxicava (sand) formation, the Beauport sands and gravels, the Leda clay, the Macoma sands, the m [ami] SYNOPSIS OF THE GEOLOGY OF CANADA 228 St Maurice and Sorel sands, etc, are as many geological horizons ajid formations which enter into the nomenclature of the Pleistocene of eastern Canada. , , i. j The Interior Continental Plain.— In Manitoha, lake beaches and delta deposits characterize the recent pleistocene period. The Champlain period is represented in this province by the beaches and deltas of Lake Agassiz, associated with terraces and valleys. During the glacial period in Manitoba, till, moraine, drumlins and kames in the valleys occur throughout, whilst on the Rolling river may be seen clays and sands possibly referable to inter-glacial or pre-glacial times. The Recent Period. It was not until after the close of the Champlain period in Canada, that man made his appearance. A period of elevation followed the period of submorgciicG. On the north shores of Lake Ene, remains of the mastodon and the mammoth, which were the elephants of the New World, indicate their presence immediately after the close of the -lacial period. The remains of deserted villages of the abongines of British North America, characterizing the various strides of the American race, their graves, or burial places, have been found, together witli their stone or copper implements, in all our provinces and only m the most recent of our superficial deposits, whilst with these imple- ments, are found associated remains of beaver, deer, bear and other animals of the chase identical with those of to-day.