180 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. ix. 



widely diffused of American formations, though I believe it has 

 locally been confounded with rocks of similar mineral character 

 but of newer date. The upper Laurentian of Logan, the Norian 

 of Hunt, is entirely different in mineral character from the Hu- 

 ronian, and stratigraphically is related to the Middle Laurentian 

 rather than to the Huronian, notwithstanding local uncoaformity. 

 The Lower Laurentian of Logan may now, since the explora- 

 tions of Yennor,^ be safely divided into a lower and middle 

 group, the former being however nothing more than the great 

 gneissic formation recognized by Logan as the Trembling Moun- 

 tain gneiss, which forms the base of his well-known Laurentian 

 section, and the Bojian gneiss of European observers. The idea 

 that the Middle Laurentian, the horizon of Eozoon Canadense and 

 of the great Phosphate and Graphite deposits, is identical with the 

 Hastings group, or with the Huronian, has, lam fully convinced, 

 after some study of the Lake Huron, Madoc and St. John 

 exposures of these formations, no foundation in fact. There 

 seems, however, good reason to believe that the gap between the 

 Lower Laurentian of Lake Huron and the Huronian, is to be 

 filled not merely by the Middle Laurentian and the Norian, but 

 by such rocks as those described by Dr. Bigsby, Prof. Bell and 

 Dr. .G. M. Dawson on the Lake of the Woods and other regions 

 west and north of Lake Superior, and at present included in the 

 Huronian, to the base of which many of them no doubt belong.f 

 I should not have occupied your time so long with these 

 matters, but for their great importance geologically, and the 

 able papers in which they have been brought under our notice, 

 and for the circumstance that I have been renewing my studies 

 of these rocks, in the hope of contributing some notes on Sir 

 William Logan's share in their investigation, to a biographical 

 sketch of that eminent geologist now in progress under the care 

 of our associate, Dr. Harrino'ton, to whom it has been committed 

 by Sir William's executors. 



Mr. G. L. Marler, Chairman of the Council, then read the 

 following report : — 



Your Council have to report on the proceedings of the past 

 year, which has just closed. In doing so they have to remark 



* Reports Geological Survey of Canada. 



fG. M. Dawson's ileport on 49tli rarallel. Bell, Reports Geologi- 

 cal Survey of Canada. 



