93 



At the conclusion of his most interesting paper, Mr. Wheeler was 

 loudly applauded. As given above, it is much curtailed from the 

 original, many historical references having to be omitted for want of 

 space. 



ON THE SEQUENCE OF THE GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS 



ABOUT OTTAWA, WITH REFP]EENCE TO THE 



NATURAL GAS QUESTION. 



By Henry M. Ami, M.A., F.G.S. 



(Read February 2nd, 1888. J 



In geology, as well as in other l)ranches of physical research, it is 

 often advisable and useful to look back for a moment and sum up the 

 evidence and facts which natvirally accumulate in the work of investi- 

 gation carried on in a particular district. 



Much has already bee i j)ublished respecting the leading geological 

 features of Ottawa. As far back as 1851 we find that Mr. Alex. 

 Murray, assistant-geologist to Sir Wm. Logan, at that time carrie I on 

 his geological explorations in this very district. 



The results which were obtained by Mr. Murray, and in subse- 

 quent years by Sir William himself, as well as by others on his staff, 

 were embodied in the admirable Report for 1863, entitled " Geology of 

 Canada," and the various geological formations noted were indicated on 

 the " Geological Map of Canada" for 1866. This map gave the geo- 

 graphical distribution of the geological formations of the Ottawa 

 district, with their boundaries, and with such accuracy of detail as the 

 facts at their disposal then allowed. 



In the " Canadian Naturalist and Geologist, " first published and 

 edited in Ottawa by the famous late Mr. E. Billings, that eminent 

 writer described in classic la- guage the various features which his 

 hammer and mind revealed tj the scientific world. His researches in 

 palaeontology are eminently well known in every portion of the globe, 

 and are a lasting monument to the progress of science in Canada during 

 that part of this century in which he flourished. The " Decades of the 

 Canadian Geological Survey, " and the " Palaeozoic Fossils, " contain in- 

 numei-able descriptions of fossil species which Mr. Billings had dis- 



