250 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Sept. 



was as much as $8,750,000 ; and the demand for the cotton 

 lands of the Southern States cf the American Union is now 

 probably fully one-third of that amount.* 



The coprolites are fast becoming dearer and poorer, and, 

 consequently, owners of works in England are becoming 

 every year more eager to satisfy themselves from foreign 

 scources ; of which those of Canada and South Carolina only 

 are of any considerable magnitude. 



The South Carolina phosphates are very comparable in 

 character to some of the phosphatic beds of Great Britain ; 

 their quantity is apparently very great ; but they are by no 

 means rich, and average from 25 to 60 per cent, of phos- 

 phates. Large quantities, on the other hand, of the Laui'en- 

 tian apatites, on the shores of L. Rideau, in Canada, can be 

 obtained, averaging from 60 to 85 per cent.; and the only 

 wonder is that [they have not been utihzed long since, com- 

 prising, as they undoubtedly do, a source of much prosperity. 



It is not the object of the present paper to describe the 

 mineralogical characters of the Canadian apatites : much in- 

 formation upon the subject will be found in the Reports of the 

 Geological Survey of Canada, for 1863 and 1866 f; and as, 

 since those dates, many new localities have been discovered, 

 subsequent Reports will probably complete the description. 

 In this connection, the author would desire, in an especial 

 manner, to acknowledge his indebtedness to Dr. T. Sterry 

 Hunt, F.R.S., who has for many years past been periodically 

 making pubhc, in a readily available form, the results of his 

 systematic and admirable researches in this branch of Chemi- 

 cal Geology, and, more particularly, in his valuable Reports 

 issued by the Geological Survey of Canada. Reference may 

 especially be made to the Reports of 1848, 1863, and 1866 ; 

 to an Essay written for the Exposition (Paris) of 1867, 

 and to the Report of 1847-48$ where he mentions the first 



* Eichardson aud "Watt's Chemical Technology, vol, ii.. Article 

 " Soluble Phosphates." 

 t Tide Geol. of Canada, 1863, and Eeport of Dr. T. S. Hunt, for 1866. 

 t Reports of Dr. T. S. Hunt, 1848, p. ; 1863, p. ; 1866, p. . 

 References to other labours in this subject will be found in the above- 



