20 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



General interest in stratigraphy and palaeontology in Ontario 

 was not great during these thirty years. We look in vain for many 

 published advances in the science. Undoubtedly the greatest credit 

 is due to Dr. J. W. Spencer, whose first contribution under the title 

 "Geological wSketches in the Neighbourhood of Hamilton" appeared 

 in the Canadian Naturalist for 1875. This was followed by a number 

 of papers on various phases of geology, chiefly glacial. The "Grap- 

 tolites of the Niagara Formation" and "Palaeozoic Geology of the 

 Region about the Western End of Lake Ontario" were his chief con- 

 tributions to the subjects we are considering. 



While it is impossible to do justice to all those who aided the 

 cause by local collecting and by submitting material to experts for 

 description, the following names are particularly well-known: — 



Mr. J. E. Narraway and Mr. W. R. Billings at Ottawa; Colonel 

 Petitt at Grimsby, Ont.; Mr. G. Kernahan, Rev. Hector Currie, and 

 Mr. N. J. Kearney on the Hamilton formation in Lambton county; 

 Colonel C. C. Grant, Mr. A. E. Walker, Mr. B. E. Walker, at Hamilton; 

 Dr. David Boyle and Mr. Joseph Townsend on the Guelph formation 

 and the latter also on the Cincinnatian of the Toronto district. 



Mr. B. E. Walker, afterwards Sir Edmund Walker, was deeply 

 interested in palaeontology; he added largely to the local collection 

 made by his father and also acquired extensive collections from all 

 parts of the world. About the close of our period Sir Edmund pre- 

 sented to the University of Toronto all of his collections together with 

 a valuable palaeontological library. These fossils and books formed 

 the nucleus of the present Royal Ontario Museum of Palaeontology 

 and of the library connected therewith. 



Period 1900 to Present 



The period from 1900 to the present may be regarded as marked 

 by an increasing degree of specialization within the Survey and by an 

 added interest in Canadian geology on the part of workers from across 

 the line. The general geologist is gradually being replaced by the 

 stratigrapher — the stratigrapher sufficiently versed in palaeontology 

 to require only in special cases the advice and assistance of the pure 

 palaeontologist. The writer does not wish to imply that this type 

 of man did not exist before — -there are outstanding examples to the 

 contrary — -but in his opinion, the general recognition of the palae- 

 ontologically trained stratigrapher is the striking feature in the history 

 of stratigraphie geology in Canada during the past twenty years, 

 perhaps it would be better to say the past ten years. 



