BEEP WELLS IN MANITOBA. 101 



515 feet. — Similar clay, witli fragments of light grey sandstone and aggregations of small 

 crystals of pyrite. 



518 feet. — Very similar to the last. 



523 feet. — A mixture of red and light greenish-grey calcareous clay. When washed this 

 leaves a residue of light red, hue-grained sandstone, with a few fragments of a 

 white sandstone, whitish, sandy limestone and crystals of pyrite. Also a num- 

 ber of well preserved fragments of shells, among which Mr. Whiteaves recog- 

 nizes a species of Choneles, with which are associated numbers of fragments of 

 Coleolus ? and beautifully preserved segments of the arms of Crinoids. One of 

 these latter is somewhat similar to the axillary radial of Bathycriaus shown on 

 Plate VII a, fig. 1*7, Report on Crinoidae, by P. H. Carpenter, Challenger Report, 

 vol. xi. 



525 feet. — A mixture of reddish and light grey shale, and a soft, light greeuish-grey, fine- 

 grained sandstone, with a light brown calcareous sandstone, and a vesicular, 

 light grey, dolomitic limestone. 



521 feet. — Composed almost entirely of a soft, red, calcareous clay. The washed material 

 consisted of one moderate sized fragment of light grey dolomitic limestone and a 

 few grains of quartz sand. 



One specimen of similar clay, etc., from between 500 and 600 feet, but the exact depth 

 of which is not stated, contains a well-preserved fragment of the shell of Chonetes, show- 

 ing three of the cardinal spines. A specimen marked 590-600 feet is a mixtixre of red and 

 greenish-grey shale and a light brownish compound of clay and sand. When washed a 

 large portion of the bulk of the specimen is decanted off as fine clay, etc , held readily in 

 suspension by the water, while the coarse residue is composed of some white sandstone, 

 occasionally coloured to a dark grey, a light grey, visicular, sandy limestone, a soft, 

 reddish-brown, calcareous argillite, and a few coarse grains of clear quartz. Also seg- 

 ments of small circular or pentagonal stems of crinoids, pieces of the shell of Coleolus ? 

 and a large number of fragments of other shells, some probably Chonetes, while other and 

 larger specimens, with a finely striated sculpture, would appear to belong to the genus 

 Pterinea. 



The boring was discontiniied at a depth of 600 feet, there being uo prospect of obtain- 

 ing a supply of fresh water at a greater depth. 



The exact taxonomic position of the last 188 feet of shales, limestones and sandstones 

 is rather difiicult to determine ; first, on account of the imperfections of the well record ; 

 secondly, on account of the paucity of the organic remains obtained, and, thirdly, on 

 account of our as yet incomplete knowledge of the Palœozoic section in Manitoba. 



The Niagara formation, where known just beyond the northern limit of the province 

 of Manitoba, consists of detrital limestones comparatively poor in fossils, overlain by 

 dolomites, both open-grained and compact, in which fossils are only occasionally and 

 locally found, and all are in the form of casts, the true shell not being preserved. Over 

 these is a gap of more or less uncertain thickness, j)ossibly a hundred feet or more, which 

 would seem to consist of shales or other soft rocks, the top bed being known to be a red 

 shale. These shales, etc., doubtless form the base of the Devonian. They are overlain by 

 the Middle Devonian dolomites, and these again by the shales and limestones of the Upper 

 Devonian. 



