18 J. W. DAWSON ON CRETACEOUS AND TERTIARY FLORAS 
these beds. Their horizon would appear to be Middle Cretaceous, and probably near to 
that of the marine Niobrara group of the United States geologists, which was deposited in 
a vast Mediterranean Sea, whose northern shore seems to be represented by the Peace River 
beds. This gives great importance to these plants, which fill up a portion of the gap pre- 
viously existing between the flora of the Dakota group and that of the Upper Cretaceous 
of Vancouver Island. 
A small collection made by Dr. G. M. Dawson on the Susqua River, some distance to 
the west of the localities on the Peace River,* shows, in a highly indurated black shale, 
leaves of a species of Pinus and of a laurel. 
Further to the south, and at the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains, are the coal 
beds of the Bow and Belly River, which are Upper Cretaceous, of the “ Pierre group” age. 
The shales associated with these coals have as yet afforded few fossils. The most abundant 
is a species of Sequoia. Leaves of Droünites, Carpolithes, and obscure exogenous leaves also 
occur. 
3.—Laramie of the North-West Territories. 
From the Laramie or Lignite Tertiary series, overlying the more typical Cretaceous, and 
by some geologists regarded as itself Upper Cretaceous, while regarded by others as Lower 
Eocene, a number of species of plants have been obtained, all, so far as known, distinct 
from those of the Cretaceous beds above referred to. Many of them are identical with those 
described by Newberry and Lesquereux from the Fort Union beds of the United States, 
and by Heer in his memoirs on the fossils of McKenzie River. 
Some of these, collected by Dr. G. M. Dawson on the 49th parallel, I described in the 
Report of his Survey. Others collected by Dr. Selwyn have been described in the Report 
of the Geological Survey (1879-80.) A few others were recently obtained, but have not yet 
been catalogued or described. It is proposed to catalogue all the species determined up to 
this time in the sequel of this memoir. 
The following table, prepared by Dr. G. M. Dawson, will serve to show the ages of 
the several deposits so far as yet ascertained :— 

* Report Geological Survey of Canada, 1879-80, p. 104 B. 
