410 PROCEEDINGS OF OTTAWA MEETING. 



the Peter Redpath Museum of McGill University,, being too fragile to admit of 

 carriage. This new species m«st have been of sack-like form and as much as 

 fourteen inches in diameter. Its walls consist of rhombic meshes about half an 

 inch wide These meshes are made up of delicate spicules loosely twisted together 

 and apparently branching at the angles of the meshes. They seem to have been 

 filled in and covered with small cruciform or simple flesh spicules which toward 

 the sides conceal the meshes of the framework. The hair of the specimen and its 

 anchoring rods are wanting, but on the same surface are numerous fragments of 

 anchoring rods which would seem to have belonged to this species. They arc 

 composed of many long, slender spicules similar to those of the body, but closely 

 twisted so as to form a rope or cord, on which are placed minute tubercles or flat 

 projections, so as to give greater holding power. Tins remarkable sponge is prob- 

 ably the largest and most complex yet found in formations of so great age. Dr 

 Ilinde, the author of the British Museum catalogue of fossil sponges, has kindly 

 undertaken il!s detailed description, and proposes to place it in a new genus, Par 

 lawsaccus. 



It was further remarked that the discovery of so many species on what repre- 

 sents a single sea bottom illustrates in a remarkable manner the abundance of 

 sponges at this early date, and shows how much may be learned by following up 

 productive beds in the older formations, in which it often happens that greal 

 thicknesses of rock are unproductive of fossils. 



The only other fossils associated with these sponges are a species of Linnarssonia, 

 L. (Obolella) pretiosa of Billings, -and a slender, branching fucoid {Buthotreplm per- 

 gracilis). In neighboring sandstone beds there are fragments of Retiolites cusiformia 

 of Hall, and the curious' radiating markings known as Astiopolittion, along with 

 impressions of worm-burrows. 



Remarks were made by II. M. Ami. 



The following two papers were read by the author : 



NOTES ON CAMBRIAN FOSSILS FROM THE SELKIRKS AND ROCKY MOUNTAIN 



REGION OF CANADA 



BY HENRY M. AMI 



ON THE POTSDAM AND CALCIFEROUS TERRANES OF THE OTTAWA PALEOZOIC 



BASIN 



BY HENRY M. AMI 



Remarks upon the subjects of these papers were made by C. II. Hitch- 

 cock, A. R. C. Selwyn :m<\ C. R. Van Hise. 



The next communication was entitled : 



NOTES ON THE DEVONIAN FORMATION OF MANITOBA AND THE NORTHWEST 



TERRITORIES 



BY I. I". WHITEAVES 



