83 



ing on Parliauaent Hiil some of the more proniirient 'terraces' may be 

 clearly seen to the north forming for a consideraMe distance an almost 

 unbroken line of level, Rtretching from east to west in the general trend 

 of the Ottawa River. One of these occura just aljove Ironsides, as 

 many members of the Club have had occasion to notice, forming a 

 general plateau of clay covered by a thin stratum of sand. These terraces 

 point indubitably to a period of subsequent elevation which was 

 characterized by oscillatory movements i. e. a period of elevation which 

 is not constant, during which periods of quiescence intervene. Such an 

 elevation predicates the next period with which we are to deal; but 

 before entering upon this latter, there are important results which 

 must be noted with regard to the ^' Leda day" formation. Imbedded 

 within its measures is found a goodly number of interesting organic 

 remains. Nearly all of them are of marine origin and consist in the 

 remains of shells, insects, animals and even plants which will together, 

 when all examined and determined, make not far from thirty di.'jtinct 

 species. 



AVith scarcely a single exception all of these species of shells and 

 animals can be dredged up alive now-a-days either in the Gulf of St. 

 Lawrence or along the Coasts of Labrador or Newfoundland, and even 

 as far as Norway. Their mode of preservation is not an uninteresting 

 fact to I'ecord, as it is peculiar even in different portio.is of the same 

 formation. At Green's Creek, for example, on the Lievre River, and in 

 other localities likewise, both above and below our city, these places are 

 noted for the peculiar nodules which are found included in the clays. 

 By some such process as concretionary action can the agglomeration 

 of finely divided particles of argillaceous rock be best accounted for, 

 principally around some nucleus whatever it may be a pebble perhaps 

 as in some instances. Remains of tl.e seal, feathers, numerous remains of 

 the.caplin Mallotus villosus (Ciivier) occur in this manner, whilst it 

 more often happens that the nucleus is so small as to be almost invisible. 

 These nodules have also yielded two otlun' binds of fish, the Lump 

 Sucker and a Sculpin. found by Mr. Stewart recently, all these still live 

 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Sir Willitm Dawson has a beautiful 

 collection of these nodules from Green's Creek, from which he has 

 indentifipd a large number of Ri)ecie3 of fossil plants, among which are 



