[amr] SYNOPSIS OF THE GEOLOGY OF CANADA 199 
THE ORDOVICIAN SYSTEM. 
The Acadian Region.—The first discovery of truly Ordovician rocks 
in the Maritime provinces, was that along the valley of the Beccaguimic 
river in north-western New Brunswick in 1550, by Prof. L. W. Bailey. 
The fossils then obtained, referable to the Beccaguimic formation, were 
determined by the writer, and a preliminary note upon them embodied 
in the Report of Progress of the Geological Survey of Canada for 1885. 
They occupy a position very near the base of this system. In the 
vicinity of St. John, N.B., certain black graptolitic shales probably 
synchronous with the Levis formation of Quebec were discovered by Dr. 
Matthew in what he called the upper or Bretonian division of the 
“St. John Group.” These shales hold a fauna akin to the Arenig and 
Skiddaw horizon of Great Britain in the lower or Eo-Ordovician. 
In Newfoundland, the fossiliferous rocks of Great Bell and Kelly’s 
island, in Conception Bay have recently been described by Dr. Matthew 
as Ordovician, but they may possibly be referable to an upper Cambrian 
horizon. The term Waban formation is suggested as an appropriate 
designation for the iron-bearing strata of great Bell Island. 
The rocks of McFee’s point, in Cape Breton, have been referred 
to the Ordovician by Dr. Matthew. There are numerous and extensive 
areas in several counties of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick which 
have been placed in the Ordovician solely on stratigraphical grounds, 
by various geologists. Until definite paleontological evidence is at 
hand, that horizon must remain uncertain. 
The Quebec Group of Logan and Billings.—In the disturbed region 
south-east of the great Champlain-Appalachian fault in the province of 
Quebec, the Lower Palæozoic, characterized by a series of fossiliferous 
sediments deposited under special conditions is divisible into three dis- 
tinct horizons or formations: the Sillery formation at the base (con- 
stituting a presumably Upper Cambrian horizon), followed by the Levis 
formation, which consists of black graptolitic slates and fossiliferous 
limestones associated with conglomerate bands, which latter often hold 
pebbles of Cambrian limestone. Both the Sillery and Levis formations 
are followed upwards by a third, the Quebec formation, consisting for 
the most of black or dark brown bituminous graptolitic shales, impure 
limestones, limestone-conglomerate and conglomerates, which hold a 
higher fauna. The Quebec group, with these three horizons, is easily 
recognized along the south shore of the St. Lawrence and in the eastern 
townships of Quebec. The precise place and relations of the Lauzon 
formation of early writers in the succession of paleozoic sediments in 
Quebec, has not been definitely ascertained as yet. 
