434 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. X. 



ft. in. 



Coal (rather shaly) 3 1 



Coal •••■ 2 



Shale 1 4 



Coal 2 



Shale 1 4 



Coal 2 



Tolal coal 9 1 



ft. in. 



Coal (rather shah^) , 2 



Shale 1 



Coal (apparentl^y good throughout, with the 

 exception of a few shaly partings, not 



equalling four inches in all) 6 



Total coal 8 



The geological horizon of the coal at Mill Creek has not been 

 determined. 



GENERAL REMARKS ON THE COALS AND LIGNITES. 



Whether from tm economic or purely scientific point of view, 

 one of the most interesting results of the exploration of the Bow 

 and Bell}^ River country is the determination of the fact that the 

 coals are not confined to a single horizon and formation, but 

 characterize at least four zones in the geological series of this 

 region. The fuels found in the Laramie represent, at least in a 

 general way, those characterizing the same formation or its repre- 

 sentative, the Fort Union G-roup, eastward on the plains of the 

 Souris River. As far north as the Athabasca and Peace Rivers, 

 fuels are now known to occur in rocks of about the same ao'e. 

 The coal seam which has been referred to as attached tu the 

 summit of the Pierre shales, is not known to be represented 

 elsewhere, unless indeed by a very thin seam near the same hori- 

 zon on the Smoky River. (Report of Progress, 1878-89, p. 

 125 B). 



The coal at the base of the Pierre, which has been worked 

 at Coal Banks, on the Belly River, has not been recognized in a 

 workable form beyond the limits of the district now described. 

 The dark, highly carbonaceous beds at the base of the Upper 

 Shales of Smoky River, are, however, at about this horizon, and 

 in one place a thin seam of lignite coal is locally developed (op. 

 cit. p. 118 B.). A bed of lignite described by Prof. Cope on the 



