242 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. ix. 



most distinguished observers io the field of mieroscopic petro- 

 graphy had expressed their belief in the organic character of 

 Eozoon Cana dense. 



(Principal Dawson's paper appears in full in this number of 

 the A^atiurtlist.) 



There was also exhibited during the evening a collection of 

 rocks forwarded b}' Albert J. Hill, Esq., C.E. These are an 

 extensive series of rock specimens representing the cuttings on 

 the Canada Pacific Railway between Kaministiquia and the 

 English River, a distance of ninety-three miles. They consist 

 of a variety of gneisses, hornblende schists, and other highly 

 crystalline rocks, with clay slates, quurtzites, chlorite slates and 

 serpentine, and belong to tLe Huronian and Laurentian series of 

 that resion. 



NOTES Ox\ A FEW CANADIAN ROCKS AND 



MINERALS. 



By r.. J. Harrington, B.A., Ph. D.* 

 I. — ON SOME OF THE DIORITES OF 3I0NTREAL. 



There are probably few regions of such limited extent that 

 furnish a greater variety of interesting eruptive rocks than Mon- 

 treal and its vicinity. This fact long ago attracted the attention 

 of Dr. Hunt, and though many of the rocks were ably described 

 by him, there still remains a wide field for investigation, both 

 as regards the character of the rocks and their relative ages. 

 Numerous facts bearing upon these points have recently been 

 accumulated, but many additional details are required before 

 the subject can be fully discussed. 



In the Geology of Canada the intrusive rocks of Montreal are 

 described as dolcrites. trachytes and phonolites, the first af these 

 constituting the main mass of Mount Royal as well as numerous 

 dykes, while the others occur only in dykes, which are stated to 

 cut the dolerites in some instances. No mention is, however, 

 made of the numerous dykes of diorite which occur, and which, 



* From the Eeport of the Greological Survey of Canada for ] 877-78. 



