64 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



NODULES FROM BESSERER'S WHARF. 



During the last tive years Dr. Ami and 3Ir. Lamb, of the Geological 

 Survey, have collected a number of Pleistocene fossils from a locality 

 known as Besserer's wharf, on the shore of the Ottawa Eiver, about four- 

 teen miles below the city of Ottawa. The formation at that point is 

 Leda clay, and the fossils are contained in nodules as in the case of those 

 from Green's Creek. With one or two exceptions, all the nodules con- 

 tain plant remains. The facts indicated, joined to the identical character 

 of the plants, would seem to justify the belief that these two localities 

 belong to the same deposit, a belief which is greatly strengthened by 

 their close proximity. 



With the present extension of our knowledge of the Leda cla}^ vege- 

 tation, it is possible to add a few new species, and to confii-m previous 

 determinations of plants from Green's Creek, about which there was a 

 certain element of doubt. The following is a summary of the facts 

 derived from a study of these nodules. 



Typha latifolia ? 



Not previously recorded. The only representation of this plant was 

 found in a fragment of an endogenous stem 18 mm. broad, completely 

 flattened and showing thin films of carbonized cortical structure. The 

 surface markings are such as to justify provisional reference to the 

 species indicated. 



POPULUS BALSAMIFERA. 



The only locality for this plant heretofore reported is Gi'een's Creek. 

 It occurs in the nodules from Besserer's quite frequently, although in 

 fragments only. 



Vallisneria, sp. 



The only locality ibr this plant previously reported, is Rolling River, 

 Manitoba. Similar leaves have now been found in abundance in the 

 nodules from Beseerer's wharf. As in all these cases only fragments of 

 leaves are to be met with, and there is no connection with stems, the 

 determination involves an element of considerable doubt, more particu- 

 larly when it is recalled that all these nodules contain undoubted Pota- 

 mof/eton stems, and that the leaves under consideration may, therefore, 

 belong to P. zosterifolius. a species which is even now common in the 

 vicinity of Ottawa, and which is very likely to occur in these nodules. 

 Vallisneria is also common in the vicinity of Ottawa at the present time, 

 so that there is quite as much probability that it may also be present in 

 the nodules, and under these circumstances the determination may be 



