Section IV., 1913. [77] Trans. R.S.C. 



On some New Species of Marine Invertebrates from the Cretaceous of 

 the Queen Charlotte Islands. 



By Edward M. Burwash. 



Presented by Dr. A. P. Coleman, F. R.S.C. 



(Read May 29, 1913) 



Collections of the fossils of Skidegate Inlet, Q.C.I. , have pre- 

 viously been made by James Richardson in 1872, by G. M. Dawson in 

 1878, and by C. F. Newcomb in 1895 and 1897. These were described 

 by Whiteaves in Mesozoic Fossils, Vol. I, Parts I, III and IV. The 

 specimens on which the present paper is based were collected by Mr. 

 Arthur Church, who visited the islands about the year 1905 as a mem- 

 ber of the Field Columbian Museum ethnological expedition. The 

 writer is indebted for the use of the material to Associate Professor 

 Stuart Weller, of the University of Chicago, in whose possession the 

 collection is now. 



The Cretaceous system of the Queen Charlotte Islands has been 

 divided by Dawson and Richardson into five distinct horizons * which 

 are described as follows: 



A. Upper shales and sandstones 1500 feet 



B. Coarse conglomerates 2000 " 



C. Lower shales, with coal and iron ore 5000 " 



D. Agglomerates 3500 " 



E. Lower sandstones 1000 " 



Total thickness 13000 " 



The series as a whole rests unconformably on rocks which are 

 considered to be of Triassic age. In all of the subdivisions except C, 

 fossils are extremely rare, although not entirely absent in any. Sub- 

 division C, on the other hand, contains an abundant marine fauna, 

 as well as a bed of anthracite coal near the base. It consists of blackish 

 or gray shales interbedded with gray or yellowish-gray sandstones, and 

 numerous layers composed of sandy argillaceous material intermediate 

 in character between shale and sandstone. The bedding is generally 

 regular, and certain zones are characterized by large calcareous mod- 

 ules, generally lenticular. f "There are no conglomerates, but the sand- 



*Geol. Survey of Canada — Reports of Progress for 1872-3 and 1878-9. 

 tG. M. Dawson, Geol. Surv., Can., Rep. Prog., 1878-9, p. 66B. 



